I always get "Aren't you cold?!" When I wear skirts in the winter. I'm wearing a minimum of 4 layers under all that, much warmer than your Jeans mate! 😂
@@saraquill And petticoats! Don't forget petticoats! Alternatively, when I don't want to wear several petticoats (which is most times), another fave is just wearing my shortest woolen skirt as a base layer instead of as an outer layer, so it's close to my body to keep me warm, and that lets me wear pretty much any skirt(s) I want, as ĺong as they're not outright exclusive summer skirts, on top of that. They just need to be slightly longer than my base skirt.
Wool tip from another person who lives in a chilly/damp climate - if you can afford it, go for alpaca! It's literally the dream team for fabric when it comes to cold and damp - lightweight, warm, and water repellent, and not itchy at all if you get the high quality stuff. I have several alpaca wool capes now (collected over many years) and I don't even bother with a coat anymore 95% of the time.
I got an alpaca sweater while visiting Ecuador and I love it! I wear it almost constantly from fall-spring and am always looking for more that I can afford. Whenever this one is no longer able to be repaired, I'm going to cry.
I bought an alpaca silk blend yarn and made a netted shawl from it and was really surprised with how cozy it was. I made it expecting it to be this light summer night item and it's definitely a fall item lol 😂
I'm a guy and dont wear skirts. My fibromyalgia makes me sensitive to temperature, so I took to wearing a pair of linen pants i got at Aldi under my jeans this winter. So now, I'm in the process of making a few "petticoats for pants" to replace them. Yes i know thats just a pair of long drawers, but i plan on making them a bit more androgynous/genderfun with some lace hems (and maybe some insertions if i feel up to it 🤩) Edit: I have discovered 1650s "petticoat breeches" and I'm in love
Oh that would be so fun to see how you make them. Also have fibro so live in skirts in winter becouse harder to solve under pants when i not want to tigtht sitting things some days. And those days usally are the coldest ones Me also made a felt wool long skirt in a me made pattern for kinda walking skirt type that been really nice this winter that so far been the coldest one in sweden in 25 years
Goth fashion is for you my friend. As far as I know the goth coats have the lower portion of the coat flare out in a way that can easily function as a woolen skirt itself. Even the men's ones are flared like this. Plus long flared woolen coat looks amazing on anyone!
In case anyone actually wanted the mini lesson on thermodynamics: thermal conductivity is a measure of how easily a material conducts heat. Heat transfer happens when the atoms in one area 'steal' energy from atoms in another area. The details involve electron wiggles and bumping atoms. Low conductive materials either have lots of air or stubborn elements, or both. Copper is a very conductive metal, while iron is much less so. Using copper to coat the bottom of an iron pan helps keep the whole pan the same temperature.
My understanding about pans was the opposite. Copper cookware is great for responsiveness, but because of that ability to rapidly change temperature, it’s more prone to hot spots. Contrast that with something like stainless steel or cast iron, which are less responsive and also tend to be thicker cookware so they also have more thermal mass. Combined that means they are a safer option if you need even heat, they just won’t respond as promptly if you make temperature adjustments.
@elsa_g not quite. Pure copper pans aren't very common. Mostly because they don't hold heat at all and that can lead to warping and other issues over time. It's also on the softer side for metals and is very reactive and expensive. I'm referring to the practice of adding a layer of copper to the bottom of a steel pan, that helps distribute the heat more evenly if the heat you are using to cook is particularly uneven. Or the hob you have isn't quite big enough for your pan. If you cook with cast-iron on a gas hob and you don't ever move the pan at all, you will get a hot spot over where the flame is hottest. Heat gets in but doesn't move around once it's there. If you're cooking over the same heat with a heavy steel pan with a copper bottom and don't move it, the hot spot will be much less noticeable. Not gone because it isn't a magic bullet, but much less likely to burn one spot while the edges are severely undercooked. But mostly it's just as easy to get around that kind of thing by learning your stove top and where the hot spots are at so you can avoid that kind of thing.
Thank you for mentioning this! That was inspiration; I just located the very solid wool blanket that I'd previously cut an ironing board cover from. It's about to be laundered and I would love to have a skirt from it. I've already got the petticoats.
@@isabelleblanchet3694 Thanks for the warning! The thickness makes me think of an overlapped seam with double stitching and an overcast hem. This fabric seems unlikely to fray at all. I'm considering 1700's construction with slits for my pockets, versus putting pockets in. And I'll probably use a thinner broadcloth or quilting cotton for the waistband ties.
Sweet. I have 2 wool blankets and considering skirts or a cape. I live at 7000 feet and it stayed cool at night even under a heat dome. Winter is cold, and windchill can be ferocious. Jeans, sweats etc. are constricting and not warm. In Alaska I wore simple wool Aline skirts and they were warmer than jeans. I am enjoying watching historical costuming.
Linen is better than cotton for a skin-touching garment in winter IF you are sweaty. I have a friend who sweats A LOT due to medical conditions, and he was always complaining about being cold, because his t-shirt always ends up SOAKED, even under a light sweater. He switched to linen and he finds it much more comfortable. (He can’t wear wool next to skin, even merino - and merino has its own problems)
@@noblethoughts4500 context : Merino sheep have extra skin, because extra skin = extra yarn. The skin has a lot of folds, and if the sheep are not well cared for and regularly inspected, flies tend to lay eggs in the folds around the tail/anus. mulesing (don’t search it if you’re sensitive to blood/gore) is a practice which consists in cutting skin around the tail, or the tail itself so it heals smooth instead of fold-y/wrinkly. This is often done without anesthesia, without any proper care really, the wound can get infected, the process is obviously horribly painful, etc. Most of the commercial merino wool is from mulesed australian sheep. Now, there are certifications BUT in reality it’s extremely difficult to know whether the certified wool is actually what it says. And it doesn’t certify that the sheep was treated well overall. If you want to know more about this, I recommend the Collective Fashion Justice website, they do a lot of fact-checking. Other breeds of sheep are subject to cruelty, as do all animals involved in industrial scale production (including humans). You’ll have to look around and find what you’re comfortable with. (I buy second hand wool garment and yarn, or from small scale/local factories that do everything themselves)
My boyfriend’s mother is from Ireland, and I remember her telling me most people when she was younger didn’t wear coats in the village she lived in, instead since knitting was really popular they would knit these tightly knit wool cardigans and wear another wool sweater underneath. Apparently that was enough for the Irish winters, and it really goes to show how much of a power house wool is!
My recently discovered, favourite winter-wear is kirtles (cotton or linen) over linen shift, and Viking apron dress with loose-fitting double petticoat. Oh and leg-warmers (wool) because I don't want to spend all that time knitting size needle 2 socks. I made a wool kirtle for venturing outdoors and then also add a large wool scarf/shawl, a hat and wool mittens. Toasty and comfy. I cannot imagine what our fellow villagers make of me, a relatively recent arrival strolling around like it's 1450..... No matter, I'm comfy and warm and perhaps unwittingly entertaining, hahahahahaha!
Going into this winter I seriously needed a petticoat, and I had no good cloth... except for a spare shower curtain I was never going to use as a shower curtain. Bleached white cotton-blend with a nice panel of lace towards the bottom made a great impromptu project! I've been wearing it so often that I've needed to legitimately launder it once now. Plus the fact that it was a shower curtain makes me giggle. It's awakened something in me and now I need 4 more petticoats.
I made a steampunk skirt out of a thrift store shower curtain. it was one of those "fancy" ones with the ruffles on it and the draping. It was 70% there already. i just had to add some buttons, ruching, and a waist tie off. I get compliments on it and it's one of the more comfortable ones I own.
I'm from Finland. Here has been - 25 celcius. And I were still dressing up in dresses. Because I were wearing like 7 pairs of leggins'. 🤣 Layers and wool are my best friends! I love sheepskin coats! I have one that looks like "old timey". It's too small for me but luckily it's my wifes size now. 😄 And I have sheepskin and fur (I don't know what kind) hats. There has to be almost - 20c before I could even think about using them or I would be sweating so much. 🤣
I have a vintage sheepskin winter hat, and even when it's super cold outside, sometimes I have to take it off because my head gets too hot! Super effective.
@@KristiChan1 yes! Same with that sheepskin coat. So warm that there needs to be like - 15c or you are sweating. 🤣 I'm so jealous for my wife that she gets to use my lovely vintage sheepskin coat. I hope to find one for myself because here In Finland it could get like - 35c. Now it's just - 5c and that feels warm after - 25c. 🤣
V of the Left Couch Cushion is such a vibe. In this episode at least, I can't really fault her though... In terms of the thermodynamics, the short answer is that most of the time it really is all about capturing a layer of little air pockets since air has a much lower thermal conductivity than most solid materials (as in the wool fiber itself) [a gas has fewer molecules/atoms per volume to transfer energy/heat]. The important part is that the pockets of air be small so that convection cannot effectively take place. Wool and down naturally have a good ability to trap lots of tiny air pockets. What often sets wool apart is that it can maintain those air pockets even when wet. Down, cotton, and basic synthetics won't do that.
This is why string vests work. Wearing what looks like an adapted string grocery bag seems weird now. I'm 61, I remember the 'old folk' when I was a child were fond of them. They give just enough of a gap between body and first layer to trap warm air. Knitting patterns from pre 1950 for underwear tend to use lacy patterns to trap the air, looking pretty was a bonus. Most were made from cotton for regular washing. I bought my mother a fine knit silk/wool spencer (t-shirt shape) in the early 80s. Expensive souvenir from Switzerland. She was able to wear it for 2 or 3 days before washing and it lasted for at least a decade. Best present I ever got her.
I have been clearing out my wardrobe after retiring (and losing 40 lbs,) and found I have a drawer full of half slips. Not getting rid of them because even though they are not warm of themselves, under a skirt or dress, it makes all the difference! Also, slip or petticoat-your outfit looks better!!
My favorite piece of historical winterwear? Thigh-high mukluks! I believe they were held up with a belt threaded through long tabs. I'd like to try making a sock-like knitted wool version rather than the traditional sewn fur, and maybe find a way to work leather lacing into the sole so i can wear them without slippers. Fur leggings were cool too. You'd garter them at the thigh typically, and if they got too hot under your atigi (parka) and/or fur pants, you could tie them at the knee instead. I love Inupiaq clothes ^-^
Sounds like you want to make north-Norwegian lugga, and so do I. They’re made like thick, felted woollen socks with a felt midsole (often made from worn-out sea-mittens) and the foot part covered with dense wadmol.
@@ragnkja hmm, maybe. I can't find anything about them online. I was thinking something baggy, possibly with the appearence of a crimped sole, ties at the ankle, and geometric trim.
@@seraphinasullivan4849 It’s hard enough to find information online about lugga in Norwegian, so I fear there’s little to nothing about them in English. Anyway, they’re quite fitted at the leg (the sock base being fairly elastic, since the foot part of it should be more felted than the leg), and thus don’t need any ties, and very lightweight compared to other winter footwear but only suitable if it’s cold enough for the snow to be dry, though if you make the outsoles and uppers out of soft leather instead of densely fulled wool they could be suitable in wet snow as well.
@@ragnkja ah, a little too off the mark then In a perfect world i could just have perfect recreations of mukluks it the form of cozy long slipper socks. Maybe even with baleen soles but that's too expensive and i'm too broke lol
Petticoat fan here! I make them as tiered-and-pleated, single width top tier (60") pleated into a waistband, closed with a couple of buttons and three buttonholes (so very adjustable, but less bulky than a drawstring), three widths middle tier, 9 widths bottom tier (so yes, the final hem circumference is nearly 15 yards round), of heavyish plain cotton (150 gsm). Extravagant and floofy, and no pleat math (just divide in half and pin repeatedly).
I get you with the issue of limited insulation! Melbourne (Aus) get chilly in winter but houses have always been built to cope with hot summers, relying on cheap energy for heating. Well energy isn't cheap anymore, and all these open plan modern houses mean you can't close doors to redue the space for heating (seriously - my last house had this big void and window over the stairs, great for light horrid for heating). My favourite winter skirt is vintage (70s I think) German felted wool in a bright purple! Its beautiful and warm. I use superwash wool a lot - which is lucky considering my child seems to smear something (snot, food, paint, etc) on my clothes every day!
The only help is layering or giving the desired wool garment 1-2 layers of cotton/linnen/cotton batting before it reaches the skin and binding all the seams.
My warmest outfit is a pair of cotton sweat fabric leggings, high wool socks and a long wool dress. I can add a petticoat too, and I’m way warmer than in Jeans and sweater.
I used to go to a vinyl record show which took place end of January/beginning of February -- when it's around -20C. Problem was, I got there by public transit, so I didn't have a car trunk to put extra layers in, and inside the show building it was positively stifling. So I wore a vintage (1960s-ish) wool jacket, and warm handknit mittens, scarf, socks, and a hat. I had on a thin wool sweater and jeans, with a t-shirt under the sweater. By the time I got to the show, I was cold but not frostbitten. But, thanks to that thermal regulation property of wool you mentioned, I just had to stuff the hat and mitts into my pockets and i was comfortable and not overheated indoors. Wool really is the game changer in the cold. You don't feel heated and sweaty like you do with synthetics.
I made a wool kirtle a couple years ago and it is the warmest thing I own, by far. It's perfect for winter. I barely even need a coat even when it's below freezing lol
I can't wear sheep wool against the skin, I have an allergic reaction to it. I used to have to wear a wool sweater with my band uniform and I put alot of layers between me and the wool and still had problems with it. But I've learned that Alpaca wool doesn't give me a problem. I wear Alpaca wool socks (year-round), wash them in the machine and hang dry. I have a poncho made of Alpaca wool which I wash once a year in the machine and lay flat to dry. I've found alpaca wool products at Native American stores and craft fairs for a reasonable price.
Layers, layers, layers! My favorite winter ‘go to’ right now is a wool blend long A-line high-neck sweater dress. It can function as a nightdress and and as the base layer for many outfits. It resembles a medieval tunic in shape, but as a medium weight knit is thoroughly modern.And cotton flannel (brushed cotton) is the absolute best warm winter ‘next to the skin fiber. I treasure my flannel sheets🥰 Love the insulated petticoats, too! I don’t have one - but I like the idea of creating a pieced A-line version - maybe I should recycle an old mattelaise (sp?) bedspread that’s seen its best days as a display item pass long ago.🥰
When I was a kid my grandfather visited Peru (I think) and brought back a couple of llama wool ponchos for my sister and me. They were very warm but my goodness! If they got rained on, they were seriously stinky!
😂😂😂😂 You have no idea how appreciative I am of your wonderful sense of humor Vi! It is a gift these days to be able to be really funny without resorting to cussing. I'm an old lady, so I actually understand that it's harder to make something funny this way, but the twists of the phrases actually make for more hilarity! Here, a little north of Atlanta GA it's been 12 degrees one week and 70 the next! That's why we say if you don't like the weather, just wait for fifteen minutes. It WILL change!😀 For this reason, I have a three-in-one coat that you can wear just the rain shell, just the puffy coat, or zip the puffy inside the shell for real warmth and water-proofing. I love wool and cottons though, so your tutorial on the fabrics and how to use them was really wonderful! When I get moved and my sewing machine and big table set back up, I plan on utilizing this new knowledge. One question though: Atlanta doesn't have a lot of good fabric stores anymore (Which breaks my heart!), so where do you get your wool and silk fabrics? I can't ever seem to find what I'm looking for when I go online. I would be very grateful for your help here. Thanks!😊 P.S. I knew I'd see that down filled petticoat again when it got cold. I love that thing!
😂 this is great. My super crafty friend literally turned a on sale tree skirt into a festive cloak not long ago. I did not manage to make it to the same scale due to illness. But her cloak is super cute and is essentially the same as the pattern you have given.
I live in the UK, so dealing with the damp/rain and some kind of breeze is the norm as well as winter temps that usually hover just on the wet side of freezing. Linen and wool are by far my favourite fabrics because of how they can handle the damp, and wool is king for being able to handle both wet and cold at the same time. I am slowly working to transform my wardrobe so my winter clothes are predominantly linen and wool, with some silk for added warmth and pizzazz. Speaking of silk, while it is up there with wool for warmth, it doesn't breathe the same way wool does, so in inner layers I've found it to be less comfortable are more likely to make me sweat, but as an outer layer I adore it, as that lack of breathability translates to an excellent wind block. A for the issue of silk and the rain, I pre-wash all my silks, including those that traditionally are not washable in water due to coatings, as I despise owning things I can't wash in some way. This changes the quality of some silks making things like taffeta and dupioni more matt and gives more drape (taking away some or all of the crisp quality), which I take into consideration and have adapted to make a feature not a bug. As for style, well, it's layers all the way of course; linen shifts first (or cotton if those are all in the wash), then another layer of linen or cotton on my torso, some kind of petticoat in cotton or wool, then either a skirt and jumper or a dress and jumper, maybe a shawl or cape on top of that, topped with some kind of hat and gloves. My dresses are currently all cotton or linen, but that's only because I haven't found any wool dresses that I like that are in my price range and have not gotten far enough in my sewing journey to dare make one for myself (but will soon I hope).
Oh this is great info. I have silk that I bought heavily reduced on sale. But I've not known what to do with it. I can't afford to be dry cleaning my clothes and don't want to sew something I'll only wear once. This is good encouragment to be brave and see how it washes 🫣 maybe swatches first. 😅
@@sewathome When it comes to taffeta and dupioni (usually dupioni for me, it's usually much cheaper, and I don't mind the slubs) the result I get after washing has varied wildly. One fabric I have almost didn't change at all, it just became a bit softer with more drape, while others became so matt they're almost like crepe. The one that didn't change has a lot of smooth fibres going in one direction, while the others have a more even weave that is light all over. Also, the first wash gives a dramatic change, then once ironed out the properties stable out and stop changing with more washes. Light weight taffeta/dupioni type fabrics can become fairly fragile once washed, like a more typical light weight silk fabrics, so as with other light weight silks, reinforce areas that will be under strain, or just don't use it to make things that will be stressed that way. Oh, and when washing silk and/or wool, remember to use a silk and wool safe detergent, normal detergent damages protein based fibres like them over time. I personally use ecover delicate laundry liquid, which works for both. And, when they are wet, be careful not to stretch silks, either when handling or when ironing - silk can stretch when wet, but wont stretch back. Lastly, when ironing silk, I turn my iron up a bit from it's silk setting - I can only speak for my steam iron, but it's silk setting is rubbish for use on silks, a hotter temp is needed. This might have something to do with attitudes in the West that treat silk as very delicate, while in traditional silk using areas like Japan, they iron silks using very hot irons indeed. So far turning my steam iron up a bit, just between my silk and slightly hotter wool setting (or just using the wool setting itself), hasn't done any harm that I have seen, though I am usually only ironing silk after the first wash (still experimenting on weather it is better to wait for them to dry first, which I am leaning towards given the stretching issue). In historical style I am not washing my silks very often as my outer silk garments aren't getting dirty often to need it.
fun fact a good amount of fur trade era winter coats are just bay blankets someone lightly shaped, though sleeves are really useful if you are paddling a canoe
Boy pajama V is full of sass today, lol. I'm native to California but I live in Arizona and it doesn't get that cold that often here. Keeping warm here is not really something we take too seriously, its more the opposite end of the spectrum. Though it does get quite chilly for about a month in the winter. We're talking full on frost on the ground and all. When it gets that cold I break out the walking skirts and layer them with a heavy linen petticoat that I made from some scraps from another project. But I want something a little easier for hanging out on the homestead on so now that I'm done with the bustle gown and have until May for the next dance to dedicate some sewing time to myself, I plan to make a couple of medieval stay kirtles and a couple tutor style kirtles for everyday lazy history bounding. 😉
that "we got to get you properly dressed" had the same energy as your caring mother scolding you not to be an idiot and it's exactly how i expect actual edwardian people to communicate with us I'm belgian and the weather has been not terrible recently (also i stocked up on good quality wool items and damart underwear) and i can assure you the worst most uncomfortable weather after the plain heatwave where you want to die is the damp atmosphere where even if it's 70F outside ad your home is thoroughly heated, you feel like the cold is personally harassing you. Also this week the winds have been so hard and cold that it literaly blew in my face at night when my windows were closed, my thermal curtains drawn and the radiator is located specifically next to the window sill to block cold air from entering the room
My go-to for modern wear is a simple Roman cloak made from a thrifted plaid blanket, pinned with a lovely brass penannular brooch. For reenactment I'm ususally in viking age kit and so I will have a woollen dress over a linen underdress, a silk cap with either a headscarf or a woollen hood and possibly a cloak too
Layering is so easy in historical clothing! Petticoats, a hat, and my ankle-length wool Regency greatcoat are plenty to keep me warm in northern Arkansas. I do need more wool socks though....
My warmest winter wear history bounding was a combination of a lined raincoat and a Tibetan vest from folkwear patterns that i made from scraps of wool and silk, lined with cotton and interlined with a light weight Thinuslate fabric, belt with a fleche (a French Canadian woven belt) i was pregnant at the time and the outfit grew with me as needed. The vest was also great at sca camping events at night. I don't like cloaks for me. They let the cold wind in, they are in the way and since for physical reasons i use a back pack a lot they just don't work.
I live in Canada, Montral, to be more specific, and I can attest to how unrelenting *humid* cold can be. So I can confidently say that even if you're not super into history bounding on a daily basis, taking queues from historical construction methods and traditional textiles has been a *Boon* in the winter!
I love this video! I was just in tahoe this weekend and wore two petticoats, cotton camisol, edwardian corset, wool stockings, regency repro boots from American duchess, a cotton long sleeve blouse, a wool walking skirt, fleece lined leather gloves and a shapka hat. I read a book at 6am walking in 32 degree weather and was just fine lol
Thermal resistance is a measure of how hard it is for heat energy to travel through a material. It is the opposite of thermal conductivity which measures how well a material transmits heat energy. A metal like steel has high thermal conductivity, low thermal resistance which is why it's good for a cooking pan
I live in the frigid upper-midwest. My favorite winter clothes are the lovely cashmere sweater my mom regifted to me (hypersensitive skin and eczema=wool is the WORST), and wool socks.
Wool against the arms, neck or torso is awful for sensitive skin, and historical practice makes a lot of sense to me in that regard, enough that I follow it in my modern dress.
@ragnkja I always wear a tank top or t-shirt under my sweaters, but the wool doesn't bother my arms. My mother, on the other hand, has such sensitive skin that even the collar or cuffs touching her is a no-go and may result in rashes. Not sure if it's a proper allergy or just her skin being sensitive to everything, but she refuses to have wool anything on her house except dryer balls.
@@kellyburds2991 I really should make myself some chemisettes to protect my neck against the collars of my woollen jumpers, because the texture of the wool, no matter how soft, irritates my skin.
What I wore for a week recently: chemise. Fresh one each day. some flannel. Some long-sleeved. Corset (canvas and quilting cotton, adapted from a redthreaded 1790s pattern) flannel petticoat (made to go under a sari on a trip to an ashram in Santa Cruz, which is CHILLY in the morning hours) full broadcloth petticoat. 3/4 length shirt canvas walking skirt (Edwardian drafting instructions used) thick knee socks Shawl When we had that epic chill, I was so glad for my history-bounding and historically-inspired wardrobe pieces. Now it is warm, so the pieces that went over the chemise are taking turns getting washed, and they will be there when the temperature drops again.
By "shawl", do you mean the historical sontag, or the modern shawl? I've never been interested in shawls because I don't know how to wear them to keep them out of the way. But recently, I've started to see their value in warding off the cold.
I’ve found that my handknit wool socks worn over a thin cotton sock ensure that I never get cold feet, and they only need to be washed every few weeks. I also knit a lot of shawls and sweaters, which are wool and great. The fact that people are so scared of wool (and so incompetent) has to be assumed, but actually owning and caring for wool from all the knitting is just not a big deal. They only need washing occasionally and it can be done in the sink, no problem. Less trouble than stain removal.
Are your cotton socks hand-knitted or store-bought? I'm suffering from cold feet and would like to try your suggestion. And is there a way to wear shawls without them getting in the way?
By far my favorit historical winter hack are long skirts!!! Not only can one pretty well layer underneith them, just one usually ends up being warmer then a pair of throusers either way!
Oh! As other people mentioned. Headwear! You lose a lot of heat through your head. If the wool of your hat/beanie is itchy (mine often were), a headband of fleece (polar fleece) puts a good barrier in place against that. One of my favourite beanies is wool with a sewn in fleece band to stop the itching.
In Eastern Europe we've figured out how to wear blankets *on our feet*. Finnish huopatossut, or in Russian valenki, are boots made out of thick fulled wool. They are generally worn when the ground is well frozen so getting your booties sodden isn't a problem. If they do get a bit damp though, they still feel warmish as wool is magical.
I live in Co Springs, Colorado, along the mountains. I also ride a bike to work . This has given me some ideas about what and how to layer under and over my pants, to deal with the wind. I can’t wear layers all day, because I work in a bakery and wear a uniform. I would like to have to do less to change when I get to work and before I ride home in the evening. Thanks everyone!
In the midwest we recently had around -30F windchill. I dressed every day in skirts and boots. I never got cold. Layering skirts and petticoats with a warm leggings underneath and fur lined boots kept me much warmer than a single layer of denim ever could. And wearing my pretty clothes kept my serotonin flowing.
Denim is the worst thing to wear in cold weather ( next to panty hose) unless it is lined with flannel which fashion denim never is. I also used to wear mid calf skirts, petticoat and knee socks with boots in the winter.
@@lenabreijer1311 One of my strongest memories of feeling far too cold outdoors was while wearing jeans (tight-fitting, as was the fashion at the time) on a cold, rainy and windy December day. A bus driver even stopped and gave me a ride to the top of the hill I was trudging up, presumably because I looked exactly as cold and miserable as I felt.
Layers are definitely the way to go. I live north east of you close to Sacramento & it is cold & wet here in Winter (Jan mostly) & ridiculously hot & dry for most of the summer & fall. Dressing to be comfortable outside can be challenging since most homes & businesses over heat/over cool interior spaces. Layers are definitely required if you run cold or hot or just like to be covered even if it's hot out.
I was a member of the CF Reserves, Calgary Highlanders. We had the Saint Julian's Parade every winter. The kilt is heavy wool and just like the classic highlander we did not wear underwear. In fact, if you did wear underwear you would be unreasonably warm down there. The only chill we felt was in that thin gap between the bottom of the kilt and the top of the socks. Nice video.
I have a couple of surcoat like long dresses, one is a very full cut denim pinafore, one is a fuzzy acrylic tunic. I will generally wear leggings and boots, or jeans and boots underneath, with a couple of upper body layers too. I wear the fuzzy acrylic tunic under the denim dress for extra warmth, and have a load of ruanas and ponchos and cloaks for on top.
I'm working on finding my style again now that I'm done having kiddos and I love wearing skirts and dresses. I got myself a really nice plaid wool skirt and when I wear it over my fleece lined leggings with my winter boots I'm always surprised how comfortable I am, even down to the negative double digits C. Working on building up my wardrobe a bit more, a piece at a time but it's definitely things to keep in mind!
In Spain the wearable blanket is called a “sayo”. When no being worn wrapped around the body, it’s folded lengthwise and work draped over one shoulder and tied under the arm. It’s probably most familiar to people in photographs from the Spanish civil war. There is also an expression about it: “Hasta el 40 de mayo, no te quites el sayo”; which means “Until the 40th of may don’t take your sayo off. Winters in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula are no joke, and even in spring there can be huge diurnal temperature variations so often it’s barely above freezing at night. PS; I live on a mediterranean island and definitely can sympathise with the damp chilly weather, where it feels like the cold gets into your bones.
After moving from a hot, humid state to a state that often gets around -12 and can go as low as -40 in the winter (no, at that point, I do not go outside), I have learned quickly the benefits of wool. Wool tights, the modern version of the tall wool socks, are a game changer. I wear skirts all winter. Tall boots with wool stockings, wool skirt, wool turtleneck, wool coat, leather gloves lined in... yep, wool.
“Damp and chilly”. 😂 it’s a below freezing here. But I feel ya. That being said, I loved my wool coat (it got destroyed by paint thanks to my child). I miss it soo much. It was perfect for our dry cold winter days (when it doesn’t snow/rain). I need a petticoat. It’s tempting so I can wear my skirts in the winter. I love skirts.
I made a medieval-ish hood out of a heavy (thrifted) wool fabric and lined with a very historically accurate Ikea pillocase and wear it everywhere I go. It's just so comfortable and pretty and it keeps me so much warmer than the hood on my modern coat.
I'm in the 'wool-is-itchy' camp and it happens no matter the softness of fineness of the wool. I read somewhere that neurodivergence can be a factor for this effect (I think if you also find labels inside clothes itchy, you'll probably have the same reaction to wool). It's not a true allergy, but no amount of processing makes wool palatable for me. I can wear them as overgarments or things with lining, but that's it.
I'm in the same camp. Other than super wash wool yarn, I can't tolerate wool well at all. Like you said it's not an allergy, just being really particular about textures. I don't even like it as a lined garnett or outer layer because I still end up touching it and it's prickly.
Fellow neurodivergent here! I have trouble with tags, seams, elastics, and certain fabrics. But I love wool. I have a big cabled wool sweater that I'll sometimes even wear with only a short sleeved shirt underneath. 🤷🏼♀️ I feel like wool has its own category of People Who Can Stand Wool. 😆
Northern Wet Coaster here: I had a Christmas event in early December where I had to spend two freezing days in an unheated building that opened to the prevailing winds. I wore a summer maxi dress of cotton double gauze as a bodiced petticoat over a cotton thermal-knit undershirt and long johns, wool socks, synthetic velvet skirt, cashmere sweater, waistcoat, and wool shawl. Layers work.
Oh, what you have is a ruana! I think they are originally from the North of South America, or at least that's where they've been widely used in the last few centuries. I come from the South, where the thing is ponchos, similar but with a hole for the head instead of a slit. I've been thinking about weaving one.
I went to college in west Michigan and walking around campus in the winter was *so cold.* I wasn’t at all into historical clothing back then, but I started layering long skirts. I would even find ugly but long ones at thrift stores that would always be an under layer. Cotton leggings, wool socks, and 3-4 skirts kept me so warm in those well-below-zero temps! I always told my friends it was like wearing blankets. 😆❤️
Another person who’s always chilly in the Bay Area. I paint theatrical scenery in a drafty warehouse and live in a 1920s house with a 1930s furnace with only one heating grate. I knit wool sweaters, mostly from vintage patterns. So many vintage sweaters. I don’t knit sweaters with alpaca because it doesn’t have much memory and tends to stretch, droop and generally grow. At work I wear layers which always includes a scarf. I don’t wear skirts at work because I climb ladders and because I ruin my clothes pretty quickly.
I love wool so much. Especially merino. I have no trouble just putting mine in the wash on delicate and then hanging them to dry. For wool tops that go right next to the skin I can wear them for about 72 hours before they need go be washed, while my heavy weight cardigan that I mostly wear on walks gets a wash about once a year to remove the dust it acculumated sitting in my closet over the summer. Everything else is in between.
I need to make a few petticoats. I've made a silk slip but I didn't make long enough. I like tea length skirts and wool socks. unfortunately I need compression socks so I have to becareful with the socks I get. I'm slowly making more skirts that are acceptable for work as sometimes pants aren't warm enough and if the boiler in the office acts up and is either too cold or too hot a skirt allows you to temperature regulate a little better than pants.
If the compression socks are sufficiently smooth, they can probably go inside wool socks or stockings when you need the extra warmth (which I imagine is more often thanks to the compression).
I would add a woolly hat that pulls down over the ears, or in extremis two . . . Thin machine knit and thick textured hand knit with matching cowl. And the same with the hands. Thin machine knit gloves and/or handknit mittens. Feet also have two pairs of socks. Layers are the secret! Brit living in Southern Sweden, -13'C is fairly usual, sometimes odd days at -18'C. Viking re-enactor and one of my friends did decide to just put her Viking kaftan on over all her modern gear for collecting the kids from school . . . She was toasty and looked awesone!
I prefer a calf length skirt, so my winter uniform is fleece tights, wool socks and boots, a heavy skirt with a cotton petticoat, a long sleeved cotton base layer, and a thick sweater. And I never go out without a scarf! I've been thinking of investing in some nice scarf pins so I can worry less about them unwrapping. I also discovered this past winter how cozy a silk scarf can be when wrapped snugly about the neck! This all works very well in the damp and cold of Seattle ^_^
I have three separate cloaks (only one of which is remotely historical but shhhh) and I am not above wearing all three at once. I actually have one patterned like the day-to-day winter cloak shown here, and I frequently wrap it and pin it around my waist to make a wonderfully cozy skirt. it stretches out the neck slit a bit but eh, needs must
I made myself a petticoat out of silk with a cotton flannel lining, and it is so cozy and warm for winter. I wear it under 1930s-style calf-length skirts that are made of wool, and along with wool no-show socks, I can go out in my oxfords and nylons no problem even when it's below freezing.
I live in the wet and ultra cold midwest. (Winter temps range from -10 to 35 with very high humidity). My go-to outfit (for around 15-30 degrees) is fleece tights and wool hiking socks, a cotton petticoat, a cotton skirt (I prefer midi length in the winter because of the snow and muck getting on skirt hems) with either a cotton waffle knit thermal or a cotton knitted sweater. I'll sometimes add an alpaca wool vest on top of the thermal if it's extra cold! Then I wear a wool coat with a cotton hand knit scarf, merino wool cap and fleece-lined leather mittens.
I live in Finland, which can be warm in the summer and pretty cold in the winter. I love cotton flannel bedding in the winter and linen in the summer. And my favourite thing about wool clothes is that airing it really helps cut down on the times they need to be washed with water and a detergent. ETA: and yes, damp weather hits different to dry weather, particularly in places where houses are less insulated than they are here. I tend to wear more layers of wool when visiting family in the UK during the cooler months, as the damp chill really gets to be worse than temperatures below freezing (because in Finland the weather is usually marginally less damp once we go below -5C) at least in my coastal area. I have a really cute boiled wool cape that I love when the temperature is hovering between 10C and 0C, and which kept me plenty warm on my wedding day (over elbow length leather gloves, an elbow length knit cardigan and a biiiiig circular lace shawl), when the weather fluctuated between a few degrees above freezing and a few degrees below it.
In the Midwest, where I am, we get both dry cold (which is bad enough and we had nearly two weeks of that after a blizzard earlier this month of January 2024) and damp or wet cold (which is the literal worst). Layers that can trap air close to the skin are a MUST.
I have an amazing custom Half Moon wool cloak with hook. Love it so much! And also a wool Princess Coat from Etsy, with more Edwardian vibes. I also tend to wear leggings as by base layer under skirts/petticoats. They are less worrisome that thigh-high stockings (to me).
I do ren fairs and SCA , a long time ago I made myself a not very historicaly accurate but close enough 2 layer almost full length hooded cloak out of blanket fleece and cordaroy. I made it fully reversible so I could have two colors and I found it extremely warm and water resistant with the cordaroy outside. Best thing for camping.
Wool and silk washing tip. Wool and silk are animal products, was them with shampoo, it’s made to support animal proteins. Don’t use detergents, they are made to breakdown stains, ie. proteins.
I really love your breakdown of wool fibers and what makes them great. One of my deepest woes as a fiber enthusiast and historical fashion nerd is that I am VIOLENTLY allergic to sheep wool!😅😭PSA to anyone else out there that might be sensitive to wool fibers, Lanolin is a common moisturizer used in many beauty and bath care products so make sure you check those labels if you find yourself getting puffy hands/ lips after using handcream or chapstick 😃👍
I live in the Vancouver BC area, so lots of cool damp weather in the winter. I find myself layering with wool skirts, cashmere sweaters, wool mitts, and usually a base layer of a linen t-shirt because if I get sweaty while walking outside (I move, I warm up, I sweat), the linen feels much less gross than wet cotton does. I have some cotton stockings from Burnley and Trowbridge but I'm working on adding in more wool and silk stockings to my wardrobe; I finished a pair of handknit wool stockings recently and have been wearing them a lot, but those take a while to make.
I live in northeastern part of Europe so the winters here can be very harsh. I dress a bit historical with a mix of folk traditional style of my area and I would say that winter and folk/historical styles go along hand in hand perfectly. For me the old vintage sheepskin coat and fur hat I inherited from my grandma is a must if I don’t want to freeze to death when the temperatures drop to -20 Celsius. It is the warmest outerlayer ever! Warmer than a regular down jacket I would say. I do not support animal cruelty so it’s best to get them second hand (or get them from your grandma if you can:)), and you can get them very cheap. Also I would throw on some beautiful Slavic babushka style wool shawls which are not only beautiful but add some extra warmth. I also wear wool skirts and petticoats are great for insulation along with wool socks or tights. Wool is also perfect for upper parts of my body. If the temperatures are not so low I usually have my trusty thick wool coat, also from my grandma, and I am nice and toasty☺️
Lol, I literally have this exact style of cloak, bought not made though. Super comfy! Unfortunately, not enough for Polish winters usually, but excellent for Polish autumn!
I'm actually hoping to save up for a wool comforter among other things for more warmth and efficiency in the colder seasons. My fibro riddled form is not compatible with cold
Linen night gown grutle stays bonned farthingale seven paticoats over skirt an robe Français wool stockings boots and wool hooded cape would be my go to
I’ve been meandering toward more and more natural fabrics because they’re just better for thermoregulation for me usually. The other day I was like “I’m wearing mostly…… no wait… the only thing I’m wearing that’s not natural fiber is the ruana cloak that my mom gave me. 😂” That was a surprise. Happy surprise. I had a cotton shift and a cotton skirt and a wool cape… ❤
My go-to during the unfathomable -24°C we rarely get (I live in the land of vineyards and peaches, this should NOT be happenning, and yet...) is to layer modern thermal leggings, summer long light cotton skirt and woolen skirt made specifically for the coldest days. On top it's a long sleeve cotton shirt, a woolen tunic, a plush hoodie (a woolen sweater is in the progress, but drop spindle needs A LOT of time) and a crocheted long coat made of antipilling cotton yarn (it was on sale and I couldn't afford woolen yarn at the time of making this coat. It also took 3 months to do this , ridiculous.) The coat has no fastening, I use a plastic pin (left lapel pinned to right collarbone) and a strechy belt. This way I can add as many layers as I want underneath.
