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How do loungers deal with extreme cold weather?

subject101

One of the Regulars
Messages
223
Location
Mennoniteborough
For those who suffer extreme cold weather in your cities or towns, zero Fahrenheit and bellow. What's your favourite clothes for these conditions (jackets, pants, gloves...)? Are your vintage jackets enough for you or do you need to grab modern stuff like Goretex?
 

Dav

One Too Many
Messages
1,706
Location
Somerset, England
Well this winter I've mostly been wearing a Tee-shirt, Flannel shirt and heavy woollen sweater all underneath a leather jacket until I get home then I fire up the wood burner.
Oh and thick jeans with long socks.
Although it hasn't got quite as cold as zero Fahrenheit here but still cold enough for me.
 
Last edited:

Yeps

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,456
Location
Philly
I haven't been out in quite as cold as you describe, but if I am out in the windy, freezing, unpleasant muck, I generally wear: Wool socks with whatever shoes I am wearing, heavy sweater, tweed jacket, long wool coat, pashmina wrapped up around my head, fedora, gloves, and if I am particularly cold, possibly another scarf. Naturally slacks and a white dress shirt are included in that. Knit ties on really cold days, just because they seem right.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,736
Location
London, UK
I spent a fortnight in Beijing in December, where it gets plenty cold. A couple of days there would have taken your head off.... It's also been pretty cold here in London. Then there was Belfast over Christmas.... brr. When not in a suit/dinnerjacket/ blazer (and therefore not wearing a long, wool overcoat), I tended towards my Irvin, B3 and B15-C repros as outerwear (the latter typically in more casual situations). I tend to like a shirt and waistcoat below these (waistcoat being tremendously handy for the pockets, especially with those sheepskins having only a single pocket between them, that on the front of the B3 and really only suited for stowing gloves). This Winter having been harsher than in the past few years, I have tended to add a nice, thick wool cardigan instead of the waistcoat.
 

1961MJS

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,363
Location
Norman Oklahoma
Hi

I grew up in downstate Illinois, but visited the lake front of Chicago during college in the winter. It was well below zero, I was wearing a t-shirt, a flannel shirt, a sweatshirt, a down vest and an insulated jacket over all that. My chest was cold, but on the lakefront, it's not the cold, it's the wind and the cold. Gore-tex helps cut the wind, and it's very useful for that.

later
 

Atticus Finch

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,718
Location
Coastal North Carolina, USA
February in Wisconsin. I'm not sure as to the exact temperature...I’m guessing it was above 0F, but not much above. Thankfully, on this day, the wind was fairly calm, and the sun was out.

I'm comfortable in jeans, a thick cotton turtleneck, a very thick Cabalas fleece pullover, Wigwam socks, Georgia Boots and a Camp Draft.

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Messages
10,881
Location
Portage, Wis.
I wear a vintage jacket, western-type work boots, a heavy flannel shirt, dickies or jeans of some sort, heavy socks, and a felt fedora. I'm usually plenty warm.
 
Messages
11,579
Location
Covina, Califonia 91722
It has been a while since I have dealt with really cold weather, but at a certain point I always got out the long underwear. Layering always helped. Up in Plattsburgh where is was pretty darn cold i worn the knit cap and had the military parker with the hood with fur around it. It was cold enough to have the cap on and pull up the hood when it got windy.
 

Trotsky

A-List Customer
Messages
421
Duffle coat (RN Issue), German Mountain Cap or Stormy Kroner, wool work trousers ('40s), German Border Guard boots or Gentleman travelers, and a soccer/football scarf (Newcastle or Chelsea). Oh, and a wool sweater vest. Works pretty well.
 

CBI

One Too Many
Messages
1,415
Location
USA
I used to live in cold weather, nothing like an Irvin to keep one really warm, and they do!
 

Doc Smith

Familiar Face
As in warm weather, how you dress depends on what you're doing. Here's my standard kit for coldish (around zero Fahrenheit) Ann Arbor days:

For a long walk from the parking lot to the office, followed by a full day's indoor employment: Bean boots (oxfords stored in the office), wool flannels, cotton sweater vest over dress shirt with knit tie. Harris tweed jacket or thick flannel blazer under a good woolen overcoat. Rabbit-lined leather gloves. If it's not too windy, a fedora on top; otherwise, a slightly battered "Mad Bomber" fur cap.

For sidewalk and driveway shoveling: Bean boots, wool flannels (or corduroys), WPG submariner turtleneck sweater over a dress shirt or cotton turtleneck. Battered lined leather gloves, and a tweed cap. No coat needed; just the occasional trip inside when the hands stop hurting from the cold.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,736
Location
London, UK
Don't you protect your ears? At 15-20F I already feel my ears about to explode :lol:

I usually only feel the need of something over my ears in extreme cold, especially wind. I have a couple of Ushankas and a B2 cap that will be deployed in such circumstances - if the situation requires a dressier hat, I might opt for a scarf wrapped round my head.
 

Mike in Seattle

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,027
Location
Renton (Seattle), WA
Hats, gloves, jackets or coats, scarves and earmuffs are all vintage items use to protect against cold. Choose whichever you feel are appropriate. That said, if I'm going out in extreme cold, I'm going to bundle up to the point I feel prepared to venture out, be that in vintage or non-vintage items. While I like to wear vintage-styled items, I'm not under any mandate to ALWAYS dress that way. My comfort, health and safety, and common sense, are going to dictate what's proper and necessary for my comfort and health. Liking vintage does not require us to take advantage of more modern developments in apparel and the like.
 

subject101

One of the Regulars
Messages
223
Location
Mennoniteborough
Hey, thanks to everybody for the input :) So, it's all about layering and not about heavy coats.

My trick for covering my ears when in pain is one of those military neck warmers. It covers your nose tip too :lol: and it stands in position all the time.
 

subject101

One of the Regulars
Messages
223
Location
Mennoniteborough
Liking vintage does not require us to take advantage of more modern developments in apparel and the like.

What modern apparel do you like for extreme cold weather? I never discarded modern clothes. I've been in a couple of dangerous situations because of cold weather, so I'm pretty aware that you don't want to be messing around with extreme cold.
 

ukali1066

Practically Family
Messages
514
Location
West Yorkshire
It's all about layering, long sleeved shirt, jumper, quilted liner, wool coat, with a blanket lined Swedish army leather knee length coat ontop, fur cossack hat, sturdy boots with 2 pairs of socks, jogging bottoms under your regular trousers....
 

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