Next on the long slippery slope you need to experience the Ibex Shak :cool: ....here are some on sale, both men's and womens....:Quote:
Originally Posted by itself
http://www.udans.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=619!IBEX
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Next on the long slippery slope you need to experience the Ibex Shak :cool: ....here are some on sale, both men's and womens....:Quote:
Originally Posted by itself
http://www.udans.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=619!IBEX
Ummmmm....Quote:
Originally Posted by KnottedYet
I sense a POLL coming on! Except... some of us would have to keep changing our answers! :rolleyes:
I just got my shipment of Ibex and found another reason to love them. I've discovered (at least for the stuff I've ordered so far) that I am a perfect medium in their clothing! Both tops and bottoms, everything fit perfectly!! That almost NEVER happens to me! :eek:
I've also done a bit of an unintentional side by side comparison of Ibex and Icebreaker. The two items I wear on the weekends most often are an Ibex l/s crew shirt (not sure of the style name) and an Icebreaker zip neck light weight sweater. The shirt gets about twice the wear of the sweater (this is the south, you know!) and yet it looks brand spankin' new. The Icebreaker sweater is all pilled down the inside of the arms and the side of the body. :mad:
Now that I have so many more Ibex items, I won't have to wear the hell out of any one piece and they should all last much longer. See...that's a good reason to purchase more, now isn't it? :D
you mean like SHOW ME your IBEX???Quote:
Originally Posted by Dianyla
Ibex Returns?
Called Ibex and told them my tale of woe about my incredible shrinking/pilling switchback. They said to send it in, and depending on the damage when they look at it they'll decide if I can return/exchange it or not.
If they won't take it back, I guess I'll have to put it up for grabs here on Woolweenies. Hopefully they will take it back, cuz both the emails I had with them and the woman I talked to today said they had a problem with the fabric on the switchbacks.
sigh.
GLC - I share your joy over Ibex's sizing. I'm a perfect Large in their tops and bottoms. And the sleeves and legs are long enough! Bliss!
GLC1968
I noticed the same thing about Ibex and Icebreaker pieces. The Ibex seems much better made and holds up better. Most of the Ibex is made in the US while the Icebreaker is made overseas. I have a few full zip Shaks and I wear them all the time. They never seem to get smelly or dirty, so don't need washing very often. They are very durable also. The norgie crew and zepher are other great Ibex pieces.
My next purchase may be a pair of el fito knickers for biking. What is the experience of those who have them? Thanks for the input.
Natasha - I have a pair of the El Fitos, they must be about 2 years old now. I love them! Even after a couple years of pretty hard use (and washing after every use) they still look just as good as they did when they were new. No pilling, no thinning.
http://www.teamestrogen.com/products.asp?pID=27055
Ibex Pico is now on sale from $95 to $65:
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...uct=Pico-Zip-T
I too like that most of Ibex's things are made in USA from New Zealand merino.
I have Ibex lightwt woolie base layer top and also Smartwool lightwt base layer top. I've been wearing both for months, washed both quite a few times.
They both seem the same weight. The Ibex ones have raglan shoulder seams and long cuffs, whereas the SW sleeves have regular shoulder seams and a simple hem at the ends of the sleeves.
The SW ones have had two little holes where my fingers actually went right through the fabric when pulling them on (i've repaired them). Plus the SW ones have a problem with the hem stitching unraveling here and there. The Ibex base layers have not had either problem so far.
Still, they are small annoyances and I still like my Smartwool things a lot for other reasons.
"Steep & Deep" winter sale at Nau! http://www.nau.com
50% off most of their stuff...
I'm still waiting on the s/s merino tee I ordered last week, but I'm tempted to try one of the long sleeve versions now that they are so much more affordable! :)
Thanks for the tip (and all the great recs on this piece as well as the sizing info. from all)! I just ordered my first IBEX sweater, the shak in gray on sale. I ordered it to go with some black and dark gray wool pants I just got, and I especially want to use it for a feb. trip to the northeast, as well as when a cold front hits us here in south texas. Based on what you guys said about sizing, I ordered the small, hope it works out!Quote:
Originally Posted by Natasha
Its been years since I owned wool. Even though I live in a mild climate when I lost weight I found I got cold a lot more easily, so recently I bought a wool suit, pants and the above sweater. What do you think of those Dryell cleaning products (where you briefly put the items in a large zippered bag in the dryer w a treated sheet). Will the pieces last longer cleaned this way, dry cleaned, or hand washed?
I'm not so sure the "Thistle heather" color is actually gray. I think it's more like a grayish purple/eggplant. On my monitor the full zip shak in Thistle looks clearly grayish purple:Quote:
Originally Posted by Triskeliongirl
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...=Shak-Full-Zip
Might go well with your grey pieces anyway though. :)
Anyone have a 'thistle heather" piece and can let us know?
Hope your shak fits well when it arrives!
Well, if it isn't perfect I can always send it back, but the pants are a very dark grey, almost a charocoal, so even if its a purple gray I think it will work. While I got it on sale it was still expensive, and at least I didn't have to pay shipping to me, but I will send it back it I am not 100% happy with the color and fit. I am much more into owning a small number of pieces I love than a lot of so-so stuff that I got on sale. Also, when I travel I want to be able to pack a min. of pieces to get a lot of different outfits.
I am nervous about the size, since while on the bottom I am a solid small on top I am between a small and medium. I went with the small since Catherine said she is a perfec M in it, and at the moment I am lighter than her. I do like a slim fit, (will put only one light layer under it), and I do find that I prefer smalls in stretchy fabrics (its my bust that is a tad large rel. to the rest of my body), since they usually have no problem stretching over my boobs. Sometimes smalls run short in the bodice and sleeves, but the reported sleeve measurement looks good on this in small. We'll see.......
But please answer my query on wool care. I am about to put my new pants in the dryer with the Dryerell unless you guys tell me to take them to the dry cleaner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.
Yep, I have the Carrie Hoodie in the thistle heather. It's definitely a greyish purple color. Mine has a charcoal grey stripe and the thistle part is clearly much more purple-y than the stripe. I do think it would go nicely with dark grey or black though. Anything does...those are neutrals! :)
For washing, I have washed most of my knit Ibex stuff in the washer on gentle (in cold). I make sure not to use fabric softener and I air dry everything. I do use Dryel for wool work wear...particularly jackets or pants that have a lining. It freshens them up nicely and allows you to go much longer between dry cleanings.
I have also found that with the exception of dog hair (a big issue in my life!), my wool items just don't need cleaning as often as other stuff.
Thanks Catherine! I do think the purply tint will work well for me. I bought 4 wool pieces on sale at Ann Taylor Loft, one jacket in charcoal gray with 2 pairs of pants in the same fabric/color (i.e. a separates suit), and 2 pairs of pants in black. While I can wear the gray pants with the matching jacket to make a formal suit, I thought the shak would be good for dressing it down a little, but still looking neat, and also to pair with the black pants for I guess what one might call a 'business casual/sporty' look. Or even pair it with jeans for going really sporty.
I hope the small works out, sometimes I order both a small and medium and send one back. Catherine, based on our relative sizes do you think I ordered the right size? I could always phone them if it hasn't shipped yet and add the M to the order. For comparison, the suit I bought was size 4 in the pants and 6 in the jacket (yay for separates!). In the AFTER pic I posted on the 2007 results thread ( post #30 at http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...t=20639&page=2)
I am wearing a small in the shebeest tights and jersey. I am more often a small than a medium, but do sometimes have to size up to M, especially in garments with no stretch.
I don't have a Shak (yet) but my guess is that you probably are a small. I don't have your 'endowment' ;) but based on the items I do have, they seem to be pretty generous in that area. I'm actually boderline between M and S, and since you are now smaller than me, I'm sure you chose correctly. I've not had any of my Ibex stuff shrink on me, either. :)
Trisk.- It sounds like the small shak would be the right size for you. I'm usually a medium size in tops in general, and the shak half zip in medium fits me very well. I also have a shak full zip that I often will wear over it like a sweater set, and I purposely got that in large so it fits well over the medium shak.
If you are normally small, the shak in small should fit.
I have washed my shaks quite a few times already on gentle, lukewarm water, in the machine, using Woolite, then dried on LOW dryer setting (with a fabric softener because that's the only thing that really gets the cat hair to come off), and they come out just fine and have not shrunk more than a microscopic amount, nor pilled or anything. Shaks are great.
I agree, the Thistle will go well with your black and gray items, and will look elegant but sporty. :)
Thanks Catherine and Lisa! Yeh, I love that I can move from work to play in it. Sometimes I bring my bike on a professional trip, or even go to meetings at ski resorts, so I think I will get a lot of uses from this one piece. I am convinced I'm gonna like the color but now I just hope that I will like the fit. That's the worst thing about internet shopping, you really just don't know until you try it on.
I have a full zip Shak in the thistle heather color. It is purply-gray. Kind of a muted color. I wear it with black mostly, but it would look good with gray also. The shaks seem to run pretty true to size, though somewhat slim. If you wear a small in Shebeest tops, you probably want a small shak. I usually wear a medium in Shebeest and the Ibex pieces usually fit great in medium. The shak fabric is pretty stretchy and very comfortable.
Ok, this is going to be a long post, but we will need your recommendations! It was high forties last night, when we went for our first ride with our new Ibex Woolie Shirts and Ibex Pingo jackets. We wore light fleece tights, and backlava for our heads.
Observations: We both started out a bit chilly, but about 15 minutes into the ride, I felt great. Good enough to zip down my Pingo jacket. My stoker, however, was comfortable, but kept hers zipped.
An hour into the ride, we begin a half hour ascent up a 4% grade hill. Still feeling really comfortable. Ah, but then the descent...we both froze! But once that was done, I felt comfortable again, Laurie was hanging in there.
The Woolie shirt is comfortable, and absorbed the sweat well. The Pingo jacket was great for the wind. It's so light you feel like you have nothing on. So "A" for comfort for sure.
Two hours into the ride (it's night time!), I still felt good, but my arms were cold. Laurie was cold on her chest (and her jacket was still zipped).
Ok, so what could we change/add?
1. I perspire a lot. I definitely felt post ride that I was not frozen like I was in my smartwool mid and bellweather jacket. I think the lighter layering worked for me, but my arms were still cold. When I took my pearl izumi backlava off, my head was soked. Ideas on how I could change/add to my layering. I'm so close to being perfectly comfortable!
2. Laurie was frozen post ride. She has in the past worn a lot more layers than me and doesn't perspire and is more comfortable. Ideas on what she should add for layers?
The woolie base layer is without question, the best one I have used yet, but I was using a smartwool midweight (we used to live in Maine). Living in Arizona we can definitely lighten up, but I can't explain the cold here,it CAN definitely get to you.
Thanks for your help gals...we really appreciate any suggestions!
Lisa & Laurie
ICE X2 Tandem bike riders
Hi Lisa!
I would add layers where you are coldest. My husband and I have similar issues...when he gets cold, it's usually his arms. For me, it's my chest. I just bought an Ibex tank that I plan to wear under my wool baselayer or jersey. Often, I can get away with just a wind vest where my husband needs a full jacket. And I've also been known to keep an extra wind vest with me for cases where I'm not quite layered enough. My H, on the other hand, just purchased the wool armwarmers from Ibex. His plan is to wear them under his jacket (over the wool baselayer) to add warmth where he needs it.
Of course, neither of us have tried this yet because wouldn't you know it...our new wool arrives and we get a warm front! :p
Ditto wearing arm warmers over the base layer. I just tried it last week and it helped a lot.
Not Ibex, but Eddie Bauer has this wool sweater 50% off. It's cute for you ladies in colder climates.
Lisa/Laurie- I would add a half-zip Ibex Shak....over your woolie, under the pingo jacket. If that proves to be too hot, then skip the woolie and wear the shak instead with the pingo on top. That should do it. :) Look a few posts back to the link to Udans.com for shaks on sale right now. They run pretty true to size.
Another solution would be to wear two woolies instead of one. That would probably work too, but the shak might be more fun to have in general. :p
P.S. My husband just ordered his second shak. When he got the first one, he said he was "only going to wear it for biking". Hah! I knew that wouldn't last, because they are just too damned comfy and tempting to put on. Sure enough, he was wearing it every day this past week....said he was "testing" it. Hah!
He confessed today that he has ordered a second shak. :D :D
I want to thank expert wool weenie KnottedYet for the advice she gave Trek420 on woolie items for me for Channuka. I wore the Ibex glove liners and the woolie boolie socks today (inside my OR mittens and NorthFace down boots respectively) and my fingers and toes have never before been so toasty on a January day here before. Admittedly, it wasn't all that cold for this time of year, but colder than yesterday when my toastiness level left that little bit extra to be desired.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...WoolWeenie.jpg
Woolrich, fleece lined :)
No cell phone pocket?
A woof wool weiner!
It's in the back ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Lisa S.H.
XL only :(
The Shak arrived, and it is even nicer than pictured. Lisa was right, the color is a purply gray, but that is fine, still goes very nicely with my black and charcoal wool pants, jeans, and bike tights. The small is perfect, and I really can see using this to bike, ski, work, or lounge around the house in. Not cheap (even on sale), but a great piece. Its a tad lighter than I was expcting, but no worries, it still layers well over my T-necks, or layers under my cycling vests and shells and everyday jackets. Already I can see cycling in it with my terry windpro vest with the back pockets on the vest........ The quality is impeccable, and the wool really is soft, not at all scratchy.
So, thanks for all the sage advice from the senior wool weenies!
Now you should get the full zip shak in matching color, in medium (one size larger), to wear like a cardigan over your small half zip shak...a sweater set! I "double shak" for extra warmth. :p The full zip shak has a cool little cell phone pocket, too! :D
I think you are going to find you want to wear it every day.
Thanks for the suggestion, but I did get the full zip shak, so too late, but that's OK. I would still rather have silk or cotton directly on my skin, but it layers beautifully over the cotton and silk base layers I have already.
Oh that's nice! I tend to like the full zip just a bit more than the half zip- it's more "sleek". But they ARE nice to double up when it's really cold.Quote:
Originally Posted by Triskeliongirl
I can't wait to see what colors they will be offering in the shaks next autumn. I have only gotten black and brown from this year's color offerings. I'm hoping that maybe one of the colors for next year will be so yummy that I'll "have to" get another one. :cool:
My boyfriend bought me a Warmfront chest warmer for Christmas when he was in Colorado over the holidays. I thought it was a little ridiculous, but I love LOVE L-O-V-E it!!!!
:) After reading this thread, I thought it would help a lot of us...
:eek: Well, I haven't removed my shak since I 'tried it on' (except to cut off the tags and sleep). I thought I couldn't wear wool, allergic, but this stuff is different. Today was a drizzling chilly day for south texas (40s rain) and it kept me toasty warm outside with just a columbia shell, and took the bite out of the dampness indoors too. So what did I do tonite? I ordered the "organic sweater" on sale at the ibex site. This time I went with a M to layer over my heavier cotton ribbed turtlenecks. I also like it will go with my black and charcoal gray wool pants, and jeans. I thought I didn't need this stuff, but without central heating it gets chilly in south texas. I can't believe I am spending money like this. The full zip shak is great, but a tad light and small for layering over heavy pieces. I think this piece will be very complementary. Now, I am ready for my feb. trip to the chilly east coast!!
:D :D :D :D
Ibex sale!!! Bella vest was $130, now $89 until Jan 31!!!!
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...uct=Bella-Vest
(Note: the black color is marked as not available until Jan 23....)
The Ibex Boucele is on sale. Anyone have one and what is the difference from their other pieces?
Lisa :)
The ibex organic sweater I just ordered above was also a good sale, $125 marked down from $225.
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...rganic-Sweater
I don't have any Ibex boucle pieces, but the Ibex boucle description says:Quote:
Originally Posted by itself
Sounds kind of thick but soft. NZ Merino wool, of course.Quote:
Boucle must be French for “this much indulgence can’t possibly be legal.” This ultra-cozy, smooth-on-the-inside, looped-on-the-outside double-knit merino provides superior warmth retention and the softest exterior you’ve ever felt.
This photo was on the Warmfront website. I like that Ibex jacket!:)