WoolWeenies Club

[Cataboo]

Hey Catriona, I just noticed in another thread you are a scientist too, so you should know what I mean. I just got back from SFN in DC, and while there the most common thing was a wool blazer with casual slacks, that's still too much of a uniform for my taste, so I prefer the dress pants with the casual shak sweater on top. It varies with the meeting though. I had to give a talk at the japanese neurosci society meeting this summer, and everyone but me was in a business suit, both male and female. I wore an ann taylor dress with a nice sweater jacket so it was fine, but again, its my retaliation against a uniform. I looked professional, but had my own personal style.

My Mom had a friend once that worked in a Kasper outlet - so I have a gazillion Kaspar suits... I tend to just pack one blazer with me and at least wear that if I'm giving a talk or something like that. I really like the keystone symposias (not only because I get to ski), so most of my meetings lately are at ski resorts... and there's usually a lot of people walking around in their ski gear. I tend to just put the blazer on over a wool sweater or shirt when necessary, and pants are usually the alpstars or the REI mistral pants (another softshell pant). However, quite a few don't even bother with that and just give their presentations in their ski clothing.

[Triskeliongirl]

Yeh, that works at a ski meeting. Its just when you go to a meeting in a more formal location like a big city, that I like to have something a little dressier. We went to a cool meeting on the costa brava, where we cycled every afternoon in the foothills of the pyrenes, and you better believe we showed up for the morning session in cycling clothes to be ready to ride after lunch. In fact, one of the european teams was holding a training camp at the very same hotel, so we got to get ideas for routes from them.

But that is one of the cool things about science, there aren't a lot of rules about dress. Interestingly, we were visiting older colleagues in cambridge recently, and they told us they really hold it against a scientist that isn't dressed 'professionally' (not at a ski meeting or gordon conference where casual dress is de riguer) but at a big city meeting or seminar visit. So, as I've gotten older, I've learned that to some people its a sign of disrespect if they invite you to give a seminar and you don't dress 'professionally.' So, I started dressing better for these events, but still like to exert my personal style which means often means a zipped shak rather than a blazer. The other time I realized clothes matter is when trying to get money, especially from certain agencies that expect a more businesslike look. That is when I wear my suits. But sometimes I wear them cuz they look sharp, especially since I lost weight and bought some nicely tailored ones.

[Cataboo]

But that is one of the cool things about science, there aren't a lot of rules about dress. Interestingly, we were visiting older colleagues in cambridge recently, and they told us they really hold it against a scientist that isn't dressed 'professionally' (not at a ski meeting or gordon conference where casual dress is de riguer) but at a big city meeting or seminar visit. So, as I've gotten older, I've learned that to some people its a sign of disrespect if they invite you to give a seminar and you don't dress 'professionally.' So, I started dressing better for these events, but still like to exert my personal style which means often means a zipped shak rather than a blazer. The other time I realized clothes matter is when trying to get money, especially from certain agencies that expect a more businesslike look. That is when I wear my suits. But sometimes I wear them cuz they look sharp, especially since I lost weight and bought some nicely tailored ones.

I have some really nice wool sweaters from icelandic design. I often wear those when I'm "dressing up"

http://www.rei.com/outlet/search?vca...x=0&button.y=0

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/sea...criptions=True


I'm going to a keystone in January, I'm all excited. Skiing sucks here.

[Triskeliongirl]

Nice, yeh I much prefer a nice sweater to a blazer. BTW, I did just order a lot of stuff from backcountry with the 20% coupon code. Its not advertised at the site anymore but it does still work. PM me if you need it. They have a ton of ibex, some on sale plus the 20% off coupon and free shipping..........

My XS woolies arrived today..........mmmmmmmmmmmmm.............soft, now I get why Lisa wears them as PJs. In fact, I haven't taken them off yet. I am sitting here in my woolie bottom and SM zip T top, so cozy. That will also work great on our trip since I can have my baselayers double as sleepwear.

They are much more comfy and robust feeling than the smart wool bottoms, but still light feeling. I still am so surprised they fit even under my slim cut pants, I had this idea I'd need to wear loose pants with them. I think that is why I didn't buy any last year.

Oh, I so want to LOVE the alpstar pants, I just hope they fit me well. I am a little worried they report a pretty short inseam, but we'll see.

You know, I am actually excited when they are predicting cold weather, cuz it means I can wear more Ibex!!

[Crankin]

Trisk, I have never worn anything but a pair of long underwear (silk, either light weight or mid weight) under my Ibex tights for snow shoeing, hiking, or x country skiing. I don't know what style the Ibex tights are; my husband bought them for me on STP before I knew what that was! They are part wool and part wind block fabric and extremely warm. I hiked in them in Lake Placid in -8 temps. There would be no need to wear anything over something like these. They are not quite as skin tight like cycling tights, but almost as tight.
It finally warmed up a bit here. It actually felt warmer tonight coming home from Cambridge than when I left at 11. I have to get up at 4:30 to head to San Diego, where I will be forgetting about wool. Well, I did pack my Shak for the evenings.

[Triskeliongirl]

Well, my kids arrived and my packages arrived........

First surprise was my daughter fell in love with the M hooded shak (her first ibex piece, is this the gateway drug?). Its amazing how the same piece can look so differently on two different bodies. It fit her really well and is very flattering. Everything about it that I disliked she loved. The smile on her face as she slipped her fingers into the the finger thingies I hated, and pulled up the hood.......... Then I had her try my M patagonia down vest that I picked up at 75% off last spring. Bingo, another hit (especially over that hooded shak, warm and stylish!). Looked way better than the large clothes she arrived in (a big puffy fleece and down vest both a size too large for her). This made me feel much better since I didn't like at all how it looked on me but couldn't justify buying myself a different piece since I could wear it if I needed to. I knew it was too big when I bought it, but let the sale thing get to me. But giving her the vest let me justify finally getting myself the down sweater I'd been wanting for the last couple years. I tried it on in a store and it layers beautifully over a shak and under a shell, its very slim fitting and flattering (and its on TE at 33% off right now......). I know some of you think its too much, but it packs so tiny (comes w stuff sack) I think it will be great as an insurance policy, and I know myself well enough to know I'll need it if it drops below 20.

She took off to see some friends before the pants order arrived, so we didn't try those on together yet. But they screwed up the sizing on my order. I ordered the ibex alpstar pant in a 4 and 6, and they sent a 4 and 8. Wouldn't you know the 4 was a tad tight in the hips (could zip but no room for layers) and the 8 was too big. Its a lovely piece, the only one I liked of the 3 styles I ordered, but I am not sure its worth exchanging for the 6 since the waist on the 4 was actually too loose while the rest was a little tight. I am also not sure its worth the $ now that I have the woolie bottoms. It seems to me that I should be OK with the woolies paired with either my wool dress pants for casual/work stuff, or the shebeest windpro tight under my goretex pant for skiing or active stuff. Perhaps if I skiied a lot or lived in a colder place it would be worth it, but maybe its just an item I get only if I can find it very heavily discounted. If they sent the 6 it might have been hard to send back, but they didn't so maybe it just means I am just finished. I am like that, I don't shop for months, and then I realize I need something for a trip and get all focussed on shopping for a little while.

So, unless someone wants to tell me I must re-order the ibex alpstar pant, I am finished shopping!

[Cataboo]

Triskelion - do your alpstars have velcro on the inside of the waist? Mine have an adjustment that you can cinch in the waist on them.

Sorry I led you astray on all the pants!

You should definitely take the down sweater. My current favorites for downs are the mountain hardwear phantom (very lightweight 800 fill), the cloudveil down patrol (windproof down with pitzips), and the mammut pilgrim jacket (hooded downy lusciousness).

[Susan Otcenas]

(and its on TE at 33% off right now......).

Well, technically is 31.4% off. (It's a Pi Sale) Right here: http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodPA_84626.html

Of particular interest to Wool Weenies are the Ibex items here:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/ibex/pro...roductAge-desc

and the Smartwool items here:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/smartwoo...roductAge-desc

Enjoy!

Susan

[Triskeliongirl]

Actually Susan's link is to the down sweater vest, which she calls an ultralight down vest, but everyone else calls a down sweater vest.

The one I got is this one, the actual down sweater (again TE calls it the ultralight down jacket but every one else calls it a down sweater):
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodPA_84681.html

I think Susan did this so people wouldn't confuse them with their heavier down jackets. I tried this item on so many times in a store but couldn't bring myself to spend $200 on it. It is 800 fill down and is amazingly flattering on me (I have a broad back, small waist, and medium hips). It's the best thing I've found to layer over a full zip shak that isn't bulky but really adds warmth. I also think it will be good on a long cold airplane flight when the shak isn't enough. Again, its amazing how compact it is in its stuff sack for travel.

Catriona, yes the pants have those straps to adjust, but maybe I didn't do it right, rather than laying smooth it made it bunch in the areas where you adjust it. It is such a lovely piece though, maybe I should ring them up about an exchange order......... Its the only piece I think that is practical for me. The other pants were nice, but the prana pant was way too long and puffy, and I think I ordered the wrong size (M on the size chart but kind of big) but it just seemed way too heavy, its like a fleece attached to a shell, so something very bulky to pack that could only be used under very cold circumstances. The acrtyrex pant struck me as a very expensive hi-tech sweat pant, just not my style. But, you do have me reconsidering the alpstar...........oh the temptation...... I do really like them, and am pretty sure the 6 would work. Do you actually think I will be cold with woolies under a lined wool dress pant on the bottom and my arctyrex shell and layers on top? If so I could always order a midweight base layer to put under the wool pants.

And don't worry, you didn't lead me astray at all. Your suggestions have been very helpful. I think I am more averse to synthetics than you are. I am not fond of fleece. The shebeest wind pro stuff is different (and also available right here on TE!), very high tech and functional, same with goretex, but otherwise I love my natural fibers, wool, down, etc.

[Velobambina]

Well, technically is 31.4% off. (It's a Pi Sale) Right here: http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodPA_84626.html

Of particular interest to Wool Weenies are the Ibex items here:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/ibex/pro...roductAge-desc

and the Smartwool items here:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/smartwoo...roductAge-desc

Enjoy!

Susan

You enabler you! I'm actually tempted to have another piece of Pi and get some more wool. Yesterday, I got my TE order and the wool piece I purchased is gorgeous.

[jobob]

I just had to approve 3 abstracts for a Keystone meeting.

Oh yeah, I like wool too.