frenchgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Do you ever wear wool sweaters or do you only wear fleece/polyester stuff? Which one would be warmer? Heavy wool or thin fleece?
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Fleece or wool?
- Thread starter frenchgirl
- Start date
frenchgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I completely forgot about down! Love that too! I grew up with hand knit wool sweaters so I can wear them next to skin. I am just not sure if I wear them tomorrow or stick with the usual thin wool + fleece clothes or go wool all the way.
Wool for sure. For really cold days - a wool layer with a down sweater on top is the answer for me.
But once I found good wool products - Patagonia Wool 4 hoodie, Icebreaker and Smartwool shirts... I don't use any of my fleece anymore. Wool wicks so much better - it keeps me much warmer. And the good stuff isn't itchy at all.
I even have one cashmere sweater that I've used for skiing sometimes. My husband threw it in the dryer and it went from a nice large sweater to looking like an XS boiled wool sweater. So instead of throwing it away, sometimes I wear it as a super soft, formfitting layer.
But once I found good wool products - Patagonia Wool 4 hoodie, Icebreaker and Smartwool shirts... I don't use any of my fleece anymore. Wool wicks so much better - it keeps me much warmer. And the good stuff isn't itchy at all.
I even have one cashmere sweater that I've used for skiing sometimes. My husband threw it in the dryer and it went from a nice large sweater to looking like an XS boiled wool sweater. So instead of throwing it away, sometimes I wear it as a super soft, formfitting layer.
I like fleece for its lightness and ease of cleaning. I also listened to the sales pitch for fleece. After seeing what a few of the Divas have to say I think I'll break out the old warm, wool sweater on those very cold days. It's great to get input from so many dedicated skiers.
frenchgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It's a whopping 5F at the base this morning and -1F at the summit. I have to ski this morning and so far I have 3 layers of wool + jacket.
Off I go!
Off I go!
I like fleece for its lightness and ease of cleaning. I also listened to the sales pitch for fleece. After seeing what a few of the Divas have to say I think I'll break out the old warm, wool sweater on those very cold days. It's great to get input from so many dedicated skiers.
Honestly, I think all my wool stuff is actually lighter than the fleece items I own. It's meant for layering - vs. old school wool "ski sweaters". Not that those wouldn't work - they just might feel bulky (or itchy) in comparison.
Tennessee
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Wool
I love wool sweaters when it's really cold. I have gotten several nice old school wool sweaters at the thrift stores -- one time even scored 3 "old man" cashmere pullovers. I just wear them over cotton turtlenecks because I don't sweat that much. Merino wool is soft and great for long underwear. My warmest sweater is a wool zip cardigan I knitted for myself. Fleece is soft but I don't think it's super warm.
I love wool sweaters when it's really cold. I have gotten several nice old school wool sweaters at the thrift stores -- one time even scored 3 "old man" cashmere pullovers. I just wear them over cotton turtlenecks because I don't sweat that much. Merino wool is soft and great for long underwear. My warmest sweater is a wool zip cardigan I knitted for myself. Fleece is soft but I don't think it's super warm.
frenchgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I just came back and wool rocks! I put on 3 wool layers: a wool baselayer. a wool/polyester tight turtleneck and an old handknit heavy sweater and I was not cold. But my hands/feet were. I was surprised that my feet did not go numb. 
cinnabon
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
wool is definitely warmer, but fleece is my mainstay, mostly because it's easy to care for, I don't care what happens to it, and it's what I habitually grab when I go skiing. My wool sweaters are more like "good" clothes, but I should remember to give wool a try on super cold days. Itching can be an issue for me, but again, not if it's really cold. I recently got an icebreaker top that I have yet to try out, but it seems pretty soft so I think I'll be ok in it.
Mafia_Princess
Certified Ski Diva
In previous seasons my cold weather base layers have been fleece. I bought an icebreaker wool set last week and it has been fantastic. Fits better, feels like you aren't wearing it, but you stay warm. Pricey, but it's already worth the cost for me.
Kimmyt
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I hate bulk, and my shell is not super roomy so I go with wool or a synthetic like caprilene or whatever I find on sale. I got my icebreaker on sale for super cheap (like $30) and it is totally the warmest layer I have, I've lent it to the Boy and he's overheated it's so warm!
K.
K.
