WoolWeenies Club

[KnottedYet]

Ibex doesn't shrink.

If it does shrink, cosmic forces are in flux. Serious, I've got about 15 pieces of Ibex and LisaSH has a gazillion, and neither of us has shrinkage issues... except one thing.

My older Switchback never even said "boo". Just my one new Switchback I got in May.

Ibex is good stuff! (wash in cold, air dry) I wash my undies and my cycling capris after every wearing. No shrinking. No pilling. No problem!

[GLC1968]

Triskeliongirl - make sure to post your observations about that organic sweater when it arrives. I'm really, really considering it, but I'd like to hear a review from someone looking at it in person! It says it's grey/black, but I swear my monitor makes it look like that thistle heather color!

(and nice score on the Kate's for 50% off!)

[Triskeliongirl]

Well I am *very impressed* with my Kate. I did manage to get out of bed and go to work. I started with the Kate as my base, a light silk/cotton blend T-neck and my shak, and wool pants, but then I spilled some egg on the shak, and by the time I removed the stain, I decided the garment was too wet to wear so I just left it home drying. I found an old wool ski sweater, its 20 years old and while it doesn't say merino wool its also a very tight non-sratchy weave (got it in europe). It would itch me with just a silk base layer (somehow the wool fibers would get through the holes in the silk and irritate my skin) but so far I am very comfy paired with the Kate and T-neck. And I can't believe that I can wear wool on my skin, but the kate is that ultrafine merino wool.

My upper body was toasty warm even in my cold underheated house. But, I was cold on my lower body, even with wool pants, so I put on an old pair of terry drifit cycling tights as a base, with the old very thin chamois, and again I am toasty warm. But, maybe this means I do need to think about some Ibex base layers for my bottom. I am not gonna run out and pay full price, but what pieces do you gals recommend and I will watch the sales. Also, do you think light weight or mid weight are best for base layers? My idea is they will double for everyday use and active sports?

[Triskeliongirl]

Ooh, wouldn't this look great in thistle over my thistle shak and kate: http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...uct=Bella-Vest

While I like Lisa's idea to double shak it, its too late since I bought my full zip shak in small and not medium. But with the kate base, the full zip shak in small, and I am guessing this vest in medium, I should be toasty warm, right? But, not sure, even on sale its still a lot of money and I may have enough pieces for now. And, I do have my nice terry vest, so I don't really *need* this piece, but wouldn't it look nice in the same color as the shak?

I also hesitate cuz now I understand what boucle means, its the weave and I did find the carrie hoodie too scratchy which is boucle, although once I tried it on with the kate underneath I was fine.

[Triskeliongirl]

Hmmm, I started looking at bottoms. I like both the roaster boxer and the long Janes. Any comments on these pieces, advantages of boxer vs full length, etc. Do the boxers ride up? (I have some from VS that do and it annoys me). These are mid weight. Some reviews of the lighter stuff like the woolies say they get holes easily.

[KathiCville]

I don't know about the Ibex boxers, but the pair of Smartwool boxers I have DO ride up...a little. (Probably more to do with my anatomy than any design flaw in the boxers! ) I find that I don't wear them much--NOT because they ride up, but because I usually wear long thermals if it's realllllly cold.

I nabbed a great pair of Ibex wool tights with a windblocker facing on the front on sale on a ski shop website about two months ago for $85 (regularly $130 or so). LOVE them! (No name for the style; I think they were probably from a few seasons ago.).......And I also have a pair of Terry's good winter tights (bought at the 1/2 price sale a couple of months ago). Both are so warm that neither seems to require another layer underneath, at least down to, say, 25F. In fact, they can be *too* warm, so I only put them on when the thermometer is definitely below 35 and likely to stay that way during the ride.

I do have one pair of light, long Smartwool bottoms, but I only wear those under hiking pants now that I have the two seriously warm tights mentioned above. They would probably work very nicely under a pair of my loose tights, but I prefer a one-layer approach for my legs. Funny, 'cause I love multiple layers on the top half!

My BF teases me that I have clothing combos for EVERY conceivable temperature and precipitation! AND I carry back-ups in my truck "just in case" I leave something at home.

[Triskeliongirl]

I must confess. I did it, AGAIN, I made ANOTHER Ibex order. But I did restrain myself. I removed ALL ITEMS from the cart that I didn't really need or weren't on sale before hitting the submit order button. And those were a lot of items! I removed that pretty vest in the same color as my shak, cuz I have vests and don't like the boucle weave. I removed the pretty cyling jersey on sale that matches my bike, cuz I have enough cycling jerseys. I removed the tights that weren't on sale cuz my drifit tights really do work as a lower body base. So what did I order?:

Ibex Knee and Arm Warmers. They were great prices and I really did NEED them. And one more base, this time a mid-weight. The mulberry ribbed crew: http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...t=Ribbies-Crew

I liked that this is mid-weight, heavier than the light weight Kate, and let me see if my skin can tolerate the 18.5 micron wool as well as the finer 17.5 of my Kate. I also thought it would like nice with my charcoal gray wool suit at my DC meeting.

I really want a zepher, but not till it goes on sale! I am also now realizing what a great bargain the organic sweater was, seemed really expensive when I made the order, but now that I understand this stuff, I can't wait until it arrives. I promise a review for all!

[KnottedYet]

Hmmm, I started looking at bottoms. I like both the roaster boxer and the long Janes. Any comments on these pieces, advantages of boxer vs full length, etc. Do the boxers ride up? (I have some from VS that do and it annoys me). These are mid weight. Some reviews of the lighter stuff like the woolies say they get holes easily.

I have 3 pair of Roaster Boxers and 1 pair of Long Janes. (the gray ones that match the Boxers)

The Boxers are my all-time favorite underwear for EVERYTHING. I love them! They do NOT ride up (unlike Smartwool) They are incredibly comfortable.

The Long Janes are a great weight (they are just long Boxers) and I wear them for running, biking, sleeping, and as long undies.

My boxers get washed after every wearing, and are going strong. The Janes get washed about once a week, no sign of problems. Even the inner thighs (where I always wear out fabric... my thighs are big from muscles, yeah, that's it...) have no thinning or pilling or friction damage.

[Triskeliongirl]

So do the boxers have seams, i.e. do you use them instead of panties or with panties?

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks Lisa and Knotted for all that great info. Well the roaster boxers and energy tight are next on my list, but I will wait for them to go on sale. Lisa, you live near Boston, any stores in Boston/Cambridge I might check out for Ibex sales in February? (Lisa, did you know I also bought my titanium Isis at Harris Cyclery, they were the only shop that had one left in my size so I purchased it there on a trip to the cape).

I agree Lisa, I need time to wear the pieces I have just bought. Each day is a surprise. Like today, my shak was still wet on my drying rack from its first wash so I put my Kate on under a cotton ribbed henley, and found that I was amazingly warm even without another layer. How can something so THIN, give me so much warmth? The clerk in the store was so wrong, no wonder they ended up unsold and on the 50% off winter clearance rack. I bought the 2 black smalls they had, didn't buy the lime greens cuz wasn't sure that color would go with my clothes, but I am oh so tempted to go back for them..... But restraint, I already have the mid-weight ribbed crew on the way.

I always considered my shebeest drifit long sleeve cycling jerseys as my 'base' and then just cover them with my PI gavia jacket if its cold. But do you guys wear these wool bases under that kind of jersey? Also does anyone cycle in the energy tight? Do you need to size up if you want to put it over a cycling short w chamois? Is it warmer than say a shebeest or terry cycling tight (I have what terry calls the cool weather not cold weather tights). I do find my legs feel cold in them when the temp. drops below 40, which is probably why I don't ride in the 30s. If I ride I can put my goretex pants over them, but not really fond of riding in a pant.