WoolWeenies Club

[GLC1968]

Trisk -

I don't have that particular sweater, but I do have a Pez vest. I absolutely LOVE it. It's one of my favorite pieces. It always looks good and never gets tired looking like some other wool items do after a lot of use and infrequent laundering.

It's going to be a little thicker than a zepher and very similiar to a shak in weight. But it's smoother looking - almost sleeker in appearance due to the felting (without being thick or inflexible). It's really sharp. I would also suggest that due to the felting, it's probably slightly warmer than a shak as well (this is hard for me to compare since my version has no sleeves!). But I want to reitterate that my vest is lightweight, flexible and very layerable even though it's felted and has good insulting properties.

I will say that a long sweater like that would totally look frumpy on me, but that's because I'm built opposite from you! With a small top and a big bottom (wide hips/legs), long jackets and sweaters are very unflattering on me just making me look short and stumpy. For someone like you who carries your weight higher, I bet it would be adorable!

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks for the good suggestions. I live in a warm place, and sometimes travel to cold places, or make trips to multiple places. For example, we have family in Portugal, colleagues in Switzerland, so I might make a trip to Europe in winter where I am going from south to north and don't want to carry a million different coats. Or I may travel to san francisco or boston in winter, but not sure how cold it will be while I am there so like to have layering options. I do have a patagonia down sweater that I layer under my arctyrex parker, but not sure I like the puffiness which is why I was attracted to the idea of the pez long sweater. I do look good in long sweaters and long jackets, and like them for the added warmth over the more typical short jackets.

[NbyNW]

I hear you about the puffiness. Great for warmth, but maybe a bit too casual for dinner at a nice restaurant. Those beautiful Ibex pieces really can be versatile that way! It all depends on what your plans are and how much you are prepared to carry.

[malkin]

I think it would look great. For me, the shoulders of the outer layer would have to fit easily over the shoulders of the inside layers; I can't stand that bunchy tight feeling.

[skhill]

It's a cold snowy morning, but I'm so happy in my new wool long underwear (minus 33, much more affordable than some other brands)... Hooray for wool!!!

But like usual, I had to go up a size at the waist/hips to have them be long enough. It's not the end of the world, but annoying. It's not like I'm all that tall, or with exceptionally long legs... Anyway... Does anyone know of any wool bottoms that come in XS long?

[OakLeaf]

Ibex gear is long, and runs on the small side. I have the opposite problem, and I had to return a pair of Long Janes... SW bottoms fit me perfectly, by comparison. To get into Ibex I would've had to go up a size from what I wear in tops AND grow about three inches in the legs.

[Triskeliongirl]

I think it would look great. For me, the shoulders of the outer layer would have to fit easily over the shoulders of the inside layers; I can't stand that bunchy tight feeling.

I agree, that is why I am not sure if I should order the small or medium. My ibex inner layers (say a zepher and a shak) are both small, but my REI raincoat is a medium. I don't know if the medium pez would layer better over the small shaks, or if the small pez would layer better under the medium raincoat??? That's why I was hoping someone has this item to know how it layers over a shak of the same size. I could also just order both and return one, which may be my best option if no one knows.

[OakLeaf]

FWIW, since I don't own any of the actual pieces in question, but I had to exchange the Ibex Europa jacket I got for my birthday. I definitely wanted it a size up from what I wear in their base layers, to have room for more than a thin top underneath.

[moonfroggy]

Ibex gear is long, and runs on the small side. I have the opposite problem, and I had to return a pair of Long Janes... SW bottoms fit me perfectly, by comparison. To get into Ibex I would've had to go up a size from what I wear in tops AND grow about three inches in the legs.

i am so surprised to read this, i almost always have to get extra small in ibex and had assumed it ran large. i tend to have no clue what size clothes to buy for myself though and when i follow the charts and measure i always end up with clothes a size or two too large.

[jessmarimba]

Is it just the shirt I just got, or is Icebreaker a little on the shorter/boxier side?

[GLC1968]

I think Ibex runs big, in general and their sleeves are always quite long (which I know is a godsend for many!).

Icebreaker generally runs slightly smaller than Ibex in my experience (and tops are usually very long in the body).

I have also gotten specific items from both makers that buck this trend completely AND items that become totally distorted after one washing (clearly due to some defect). It can really be a crap shoot!

Smartwool seems to run smaller but I have limited Smartwool experience unless you count socks (which I think run big!).

Trisk - I don't know what size my Pez vest is (I'm at work, it's at home!), but I can check for you tonight. I do know that my vest fits looser than my Shak's, so if they are the same size, then it could be that the Pez runs larger. That's my guess, but I can't say for sure without checking (plus, vest sizing could be different than sweater sizing, of course)... I'm not much help, am I?

[Triskeliongirl]

I think Ibex runs big, in general and their sleeves are always quite long (which I know is a godsend for many!).

Trisk - I don't know what size my Pez vest is (I'm at work, it's at home!), but I can check for you tonight. I do know that my vest fits looser than my Shak's, so if they are the same size, then it could be that the Pez runs larger. That's my guess, but I can't say for sure without checking (plus, vest sizing could be different than sweater sizing, of course)... I'm not much help, am I?

If you could check tonite I would appreciate it, as I am still waiting for my coupon to arrive for doing a gear review on altrec.

p.s. Acutally I have have just gotten an answer. I phoned Ibex, and they told me the pez runs similar to the shak and is sized to fit over a light layer. They recommend a medium to layer over a small shak.

[Jolt]

I think Ibex runs big, in general and their sleeves are always quite long (which I know is a godsend for many!).

Icebreaker generally runs slightly smaller than Ibex in my experience (and tops are usually very long in the body).

I have also gotten specific items from both makers that buck this trend completely AND items that become totally distorted after one washing (clearly due to some defect). It can really be a crap shoot!

Icebreaker tops are definitely on the long side. As far as "outliers", I have a pair of Ibex pants (Izzi, I think--yoga-type pants) that are SHORT...so much for the general trend of Ibex pants being long (I have a pair of the Loose Tights which are the perfect length). I got them for ridiculously cheap on Amazon and maybe that's why...maybe they were selling some "irregulars" on there. Because they are so short and therefore look kind of funny, I have been using them mostly as pajama bottoms!

[Crankin]

Ibex bottoms are usually long on me, but I have to wear a small instead of an extra small, in the hips. I have a pair of Ibex wool/wind proof tights that DH bought me years ago, before I knew what Ibex was. The length on those are OK, but any other bottoms I've tried on are really long. The extra small tops fit me perfectly, although as in most things that aren't petites, the sleeves are a bit long.
I find Icebreaker itchy. I have 2 Smartwool base layers that are really nice, but are quite long.

[jessmarimba]

Ok. Maybe this Icebreaker one is just cut weird - it came from Sierra Trading Post. It barely comes to the waist of my jeans and it's pretty loose for being the smallest possible size. But it's a short-sleeved shirt so its not like I need it to keep warm this winter. I think the I/O Bio shirts run long too, maybe I'll just stick with those from now on.