WoolWeenies Club

[Triskeliongirl]

Well thanks for the tip Lisa! Do you usually mail order it, or do you find it in health food type stores?

My skin is very sensitive so I usually avoid underarm deodorants, but something like this may do the trick for me, and save me on washing out my bases so frequently!

But, please, answer my question on how see through the other 'light bases' are like the woolies or LW ribbed shirt if I decide to exchange my middies for lighter ones.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well thanks for the tip Lisa! Do you usually mail order it, or do you find it in health food type stores?

I buy mine at our local health food store. But i do see it is cheaper on the link I sent, but I don't know about shipping. It doesn't go bad, so if you liked it I suppose you could order like 6 bottles online and save a bunch that way.

But, please, answer my question on how see through the other 'light bases' are like the woolies or LW ribbed shirt if I decide to exchange my middies for lighter ones.

I can only answer about the ones I know.
I once bought a very lightweight base layer on sale from Ibex in a "maize" pale yellow color. I found it to be way too see through to wear alone, even with a light colored bra. It would be ok as a base layer under stuff.
I have the Ibex "woolies" base layers in black and in a melon color. The melon is a bit too see through to wear alone, but the black is no problem to wear alone at all. Same thing with my Smartwool microweight base layers- the blacks are fine alone, the light colors are just a bit too see through for my liking to wear alone.
I think that even though they are the same weight, that both the Ibex and SW lightweight base layers are more open weave than the Kate, which I did try on the other day. Maybe they are supposed to "breathe" more with an open weave since they are marketed as base layers, whereas the Kate is a "shirt". The Kate seems more silky and closed weaved even though it's lightweight too.
I wear my black Ibex and SW lightweight base layers alone all the time, no see-through problems. So sticking with a dark color might help there.

[Dianyla]

But, please, answer my question on how see through the other 'light bases' are like the woolies or LW ribbed shirt if I decide to exchange my middies for lighter ones.

All of my various lightweight base layers (e.g. Icebreaker 150 weight, and the lightest Smartwool and Ibex categories) are somewhat transparent. For example, if you wear a white sportsbra under a black base layer, it will gleam through. It's rarely a problem because I rarely wear these layers by themselves, but occasionally on a very hot summer day I'll wear one and just make sure I've got a flesh-toned bra underneath. Normally the thinnest layer I'll wear standalone (nothing over or under) is a midweight wool, in summertime.

Someone asked about pilling a few posts back - Icebreaker recommend throwing a pair of hard denim jeans into the washer with your woollens. I tried this out and it does actually work to remove light fluffing that's starting to pill. Hard mature formed pills must be shaved off, as with any other garment.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

All of my various lightweight base layers (e.g. Icebreaker 150 weight, and the lightest Smartwool and Ibex categories) are somewhat transparent. For example, if you wear a white sportsbra under a black base layer, it will gleam through. It's rarely a problem because I rarely wear these layers by themselves, but occasionally on a very hot summer day I'll wear one and just make sure I've got a flesh-toned bra underneath.

This makes sense. I usually wear black bras anyway, unless I'm wearing really light colored tops. And I always would wear black bras under my black base layers, so there is no "gleam through" at all that way.
Gleam on!

[Triskeliongirl]

WOW, all I can say is that if yesterdays ibex package was a letdown, today’s FAR EXCEEDED expectations. This is what arrived and this is what I think about it (all pieces on sale in outlet section of ibex site):

1. Mulberry Ribbies Crew: http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...t=Ribbies-Crew

This piece looks more casual in the picture than it really is. Its weight is substantial, can easily wear it alone as a rather elegant sweater top. The color is very rich and it goes beautifully with my charcoal grey wool suit and it’s a keeper for my DC professional meeting. The color also goes well with my thistle and black shaks. It looks nothing like long underwear.

I can see wearing it in san antonio layered under my shak inside my underheated house on a cold day, and alone in my well heated office on a cold day.

Small fit well, just like the shak and kate.

2. Knee warmers:
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...t=Knee-Warmers

I simply cannot believe these are the quality they are for $20. I bought and returned so many leg warmers cuz the thigh band was too loose and/or they were too long (in unisex small). These fit better than anything else I’ve tried (unisex small), and are so well made, they have a mix of lycra and wool, substantial weight. While called knee warmers they fit long enough on me that with tall sox I could cover my entire leg if I wanted to. They are a tiny bit loose (perhaps an xsmall would have fit even better but that wasn’t an option) but hopefully they’ll stay in place when I ride. I can really see packing these on a tour when one is trying to keep pieces to a minimum.

3. Arm warmers:
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...t=Knee-Warmers

Another impeccable product. I almost didn’t order them cuz I do have PI arm warmers but they were on sale for a great price and they match the leg warmers so I thought I’d give them a try. My only hesitation is that the PI armwarmers are XS and these only S, so while the band feels OK, its not super snug so I hope they don’t fall down. Unlike my PI arm warmers, they really gave me the impression of adding sleeves to a short sleeve jersey. By that I mean rather than being skin tight to my wrist, some air (but just a little) can get in at the wrist, so I expect they’ll ventilate better. They are also quite long, they go all the way to my armpit, but that’s OK as long as they don’t end up falling down. If they do, you’ll see them for sale here after Ibex has sold out of their on sale ones!

So for me, these are all keepers along my shaks and kates.

Tomorrow, the icebreaker order comes, and the LL bean order is due on Monday, but I may end up sending the rest back just cuz I am starting to have enough stuff. I am also realizing that the mid weight bases may simply be too substantial for where I live, but I can see possibly keeping one more top if I really it, and possibly a set of icebreaker long janes/zip T for skiing, at least I’ll get to size myself in these other brands and inspect quality firsthand. My inclination is to stick with ibex though, since no one has yet reported pilling except of the switchback which they admitted had a defective weave. I’ve heard a lot of reports of pilling now on the icebreaker.

Last night I picked up some Express lycra tights w a coupon I had to add another bottom layer, as my daughter thinks I’ll overheat indoors with midweight long underwear on under my lined wool pants.

[mimitabby]

oh that ribby crew is tempting. it looks like Magenta is darker than Mulberry?
how could that be?

I usually wear medium. I wonder if i need small in that; i have to check my Ibex zip sweater at home. (like i REALLY need more wool)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Since Triskell reported on her Ibex arrival today, I will report on mine! I too was very pleased with the things I got today.

I got the mulberry ribbie too, on the same day as you!
I like to layer them though, or sometimes wear one as a pajama top, so I got one medium and one large. (we get a lot colder here, so layering is good). I do this with my 2 Larkspur blue ribbies and it's a good technique for me. The price was fabulous for such a heavy weight base layer, and I like the mulberry color. Purples don't really do it for me, but this is more like black-raspberry sherbet. What really looks gorgeous now is layering a larkspur and a mulberry ribbie together- a beautiful color combination when you see the neck peeking out and fold the cuffs up on the outer one.

The other thing I got was the Carrie Hoody on sale in green. I had tried it on in a store previously. The green is like a really rich sparkling deep emerald green- same color as mounds of emerald moss in a forest. Doesn't look like the same "warm green" of the new shaks at all.
It fits me nicely and is so snuggly. It's pure merino but has a sort of rough terrycloth outer surface in a way. But soft. Lighter than my loden wool jacket for sure, but heavier than the shaks. It's not so dense as loden so it will breathe well and I can wear it while fitness walking I think. The Large fits me beautifully, sleek but with room for a couple of layers underneath.

Very pleased with these bargains.

Hey Triskellion, let's both wear our mulberry ribbies tomorrow, ok? We can be Mulberry Ribbie Sisters for a day!

P.S. Mimi- the mulberry color is a bit darker in reality than what my computer screen shows...it's like a medium dark raspberry. I have no idea what their "magenta" color looks like- can't imagine it is like that weird pale lavender-pink that the photo shows. You might call them to ask which is darker and more intense.
Size: I'm 145 lbs, 36A, 5'5"...the medium ribbie fits me well, but is quite form fitted- good for wearing under stuff. The Large ribbie fits more relaxed and looks good when wearing it alone over pants. If you are smaller than me in 2 out of the 3 ways above, then get the medium I'd say. If you like your tops loose, then get a large. These ribbies seem to run just a bit smaller than usual.

[Triskeliongirl]

Mimi, I would say it depends on how you want it to fit. The small is snug on me, but I like it that way to tuck into pants and wear under a fitted wool suit. If you aren't sure, you could order both sizes and send one back, I've been doing a lot of that lately. You can see how I look since I lost weight here:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showp...5&postcount=30

In the after pic I am wearing shebeest tights and top in small. I am between a small and medium depending on the item. Sometimes I size up to M for length, but the small ribbie has good length both overall and in the arms.

Sure Lisa, we can be Mulberry Ribbie sisters tomorrow !!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Wow, look at all that weight you lost!- You look fabulous!! You must feel so good now! No wonder you have to buy new clothes!
Very amazing and impressive.

Ok, I will wear my mulberry ribbie tomorrow and think of you. Maybe I'll take a picture!