How to keep warm in office?

[MoltoAgitato]

Despite a wardrobe of wool jumpers, dresses and vests, I still struggle to keep warm in our office. How do I keep warm without resorting to a fleece? I’ve thought about a nice cashmere cardigan but it would need to go with everything (and I’m not leaving it in the office)... Is a poncho style suicide? Needs to be non bulky - I cycle to work so not much space. Thanks!

I have a collection of Uniqlo heat tech long sleeve thermals which I wear under my work clothes. They are really thin but warm and make a big difference to your warmth. Also thermal tights, M&S Heatgen are nice, Uniqlo do them too but I've not bought any yet.

www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/women/innerwear-and-loungewear/innerwear

How smart do you need to be?

My office is old and stone with empty space underneath so very cold. I use long sleeved thermal tops under everything, nice soft scarves round my neck, leggings under trousers if very cold and fingerless gloves. I find if my neck is not covered I feel colder.

Can you leave a big blanket-style scarf in the office?

Is everyone else cold too?

I'm so cold in my office I really don't care what I wear to keep warm. I have an Aran knit cardigan in navy blue and an ancient pashmina.

A combination of thermal vests/base layers, thermal lined tights and blanket scarves keep me warm.

I love the idea of a hot water bottle or maybe something similar that could be microwaved.

I bought a lovely warm poncho last year which I leave on my chair, and wear as necessary. It was a life saver last year, and my boss is getting one too.

It’s a 50:50 split between people too warm and too cold. Office is a 1970s single glazed NHS special so the temperature is incredibly variable.

Will invest in some of the Uniqlo thermals - I have some cashmere vests from M&S but they are not long sleeved.

Smartness depends whether I have meetings/clinics etc or an office day. Hot water bottle stashed in my desk is a good idea!

I have this exact issue and no longer care what people think so literally sit draped in a big scarf/blanket type thing, I’m sick to death of constantly feeling cold when I’m wearing tights and a jumper.
Our office is brand new but appears to be split between men who walk around totally fine in short sleeves all year and women who sit at their desks with hot water bottles 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’m very rarely sat at my desk but have a hot water bottle, fingerless gloves and a wool poncho which I use when necessary. The rest of my team also use them when necessary!

Heatgen on offer at the moment!

A snood- it's amazing how much warmer I am with a scarf/snood on. I have a cheapie grey fur one from primark and I wear it constantly!

Whiskey I could have written your post.

I have a small blanket/large scarf thing which I put over my lap or drape around my shoulders. I also take my hot water bottle in. I have been seriously tempted to take my electric fleecey blanket in!

Also thermal insoles in your shoes/boots. I'm a generally hot person but even I find that cold floors make me a lot colder than just a cold air temperature.

The last office I worked in was a nightmare temperature-wise.

Masses of poorly insulated windows, limited public transport links so people arriving on foot or by bicycle threw open the windows to cool off, thereby sending the heating system into panic mode, while the drivers arriving in heated cars had to put ON layers for the first few hours.
In the afternoon when the computers had warmed up and chucked out some heat it was stuffy and uncomfortable for everybody.

My solution was layers, a mini hot water bottle tucked in the small of my back and an insulated mug for my coffee. Boots and cosy socks in the winter. Style went out of window in favour of comfort.

If you're customer facing or involved in high level meetings it's trickier, but I tended not to feel the cold so badly in those situations. It's when you're stuck in front of a computer writing a report and not moving around it really bites.

If I've to stay in a cold place, especially being stuck to a desk, I wear pantyhose and long sleeve undershirt both of thick, possibly 100%, wool/cashmere/merino. Nothing works better than this under clothing layer for me, the same for my daughter that feels the cold so easily.

It's not like wearing wool sweater, being these close-fitting makes a big difference. Anyway wearing also a wool sweater over that obviously helps!

The problem is it's hard to find this 100% wool stuff, at least 90%, thick and of real plain warm wool. If somebody here knows where to buy those, please let me know, I need to renew my stash!
Something like these (just for example):
www.lanullva.no/media/catalog/product/cache/10f519365b01716ddb90abc57de5a837/0/1/01501_off-white_herre_c2.jpg
www.amazon.com/Woolx-Avery-Leggings-Midweight-Bottoms/dp/B07L8Y4GZK?th=1&ref_=ast_sto_dp&tag=mumsnetforu03-21
www.amazon.com/Long-Underwear-Shirt-Sleeve-V-neck-Organic/dp/B002O0AFVI/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=long+sleeve+wool+undershirt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1573301043&sr=8-9
www.amazon.com/ColdPruf-Womens-Classic-Sleeve-X-Large/dp/B00KISFQVW/ref=sr_1_63?dchild=1&keywords=long+sleeve+wool+undershirt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1573301073&sr=8-63

For smartness you can wear anything over these, fancier tights over the pantyhose too.

Drinking hot beverages helps a lot... but the problem for me is after that, at the first flash of cold, I need to run to the bathroom, every 5 minutes!

I find thin thermals much more effective than layering with bulky jumpers, scarfs etc. I have a few different tops with different arm lengths and necklines to suit whatever top I am wearing and some very cosy thermal tights for skirt wearing days.

I also keep my neck warm with a cashmere scarf, again thin so doesn’t look bulky, and easy to stash in my bag if I get too warm. I find if my neck is cold, all of me feels freezing!

Do you wear trousers? If so, then try short legwarmers. If you pull them on flat and don't bunch them up, nobody will notice.

Fingerless gloves, scarves, one around neck, other over my knees. A lot of people in our office have hot water bottles too.

I swear by silk thermals. They are ultra thin, and make an very toasty layer without bulk and won't make you sweat. There's a 40% off Lands End offer on at the moment I think... I also buy from Patra Silk.

I also swear by the uniqlo heattech thermals. I mostly wear the extra warm ones under everything. Also M&S thermal tights. And I have a big scarf/wrap that lives in the office, or sometimes I wear a light down jacket or gilet.

I’m a lecturer, and move from room to room to teach, so it can be hard to predict if a room will be boiling or freezing.

I find if my neck/feet are warm, the rest of me is generally okay. I wear a lot of polo-neck jumpers, skinny fit, but I can wear a long-sleeved heat-tech top underneath. If not a long-sleeved top, a vest. I have sheepskin insoles in all my shoes and boots, I buy those from Amazon.

I keep a big cardigan in the office for if I am sitting about marking or preparing for classes - sometimes I put it over my knees if I am really stuck.