WoolWeenies Club

[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!

[Natasha]

Do the Carrie hoodies have flat-lock seams? Do you find it itchy? How is the sizing? Has anyone gotten to see the charcoal color?
Thanks.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Do the Carrie hoodies have flat-lock seams? Do you find it itchy? How is the sizing? Has anyone gotten to see the charcoal color?
Thanks.

Yes, flat-lock seams everywhere. Very soft on the inside, kind of nubbly-like on the outside, but not itchy....but you wouldn't be wearing it over bare skin anyway- it's more like a hooded jacket, but not heavy. It seems a bit too jacket-like to wear like a sweatshirt around the house. I'm going to wear mine while fitness walking- my heavy wool jackets are too warm when exercising. The Carrie would breathe and it moves and stretches with you.
I like the material as a light sweater/jacket.
Yes, I tried on the charcoal color- very nice! The charcoal is quite slimming visually and it's what I was going to get originally, but in the end I couldn't resist the green color even though the charcoal made me look thinner! Like Sandra, I'm a sucker for green. I tried the oatmeal one on too, but the light color made me look heavy (I have large hips)- if you are thin I imagine it would look great.
It has 4 generous pockets- 2 outside and two inside.
The hood is not skintight, but it fits pretty close to the head, so it's useful, and I think it could fit under a helmet.
Sizing- see my measurements in the previous post. The Large Carrie fits me perfectly over 2 base layers and a shak. I think I could fit the medium if I only wore a base layer under it. The XL was just too big and loose on me in the store.

[Triskeliongirl]

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!

Thanks for noticing Lisa! Yeh, so maybe now you understand why I have been so shopping happy this year. I have had to entirely replace my wardrobe. On top of that, l lost all my 'insulation' which is why I appear to have no clue to how to dress for winter! My weight loss is sort of a long story, I found out that I am a type 1.5 diabetic which means I don't make enough insulin. To normalize my blood sugars I had to go on a high protein low carbohydrate diet, but the net result is that by restoring hormonal balance it normalized my body weight too!

[mimitabby]

I tried to buy the ribby but it didn't give me the free shipping that the post card they sent me promised. So i will call tomorrow if i'm still in the mood. I would have liked to have bought the green but it's only in large. the beige and the blue are not to be considered. but the berry is nice