Below normal temperatures in New York has caused me to reevaluate some of my winter wardrobe... hence wicking wool! I remember when my husband took the kids hiking in October to the White Mountains we took a shopping trip to EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports), a serious outdoor adventure store where I learned a lot about wicking fabrics. 'Wicking' means that the fabric moves the sweat away from the skin to the outer surface where it evaporates. Clothing companies use words like 'insulation', 'breathability', and 'wicking perspiration'. Cotton is a 'no no'... but quality wools like merino, alpaca and cashmere perform better than synthetics (unless they're woven with wool). The merino wools from New Zealand and Australia aren't like those old ITCHY wools I could never wear! While at EMS I was introduced to 'SmartWool', a great line of clothing, founded by New England ski instructors. They have a selection of socks for hiking, running, cycling, trekking, city walking... so many varieties that I was dizzy!
Ugg Adirondak Boots, Down Jacket, Shearling Gloves at Garnet Hill
Accessories can be a reasonable (cost $$ wise) way to give you great style without braking the bank... I especially love this stylized argyle hat and the plum jacket and gloves above... Here's to wicking away and staying warm in style... Let me know your ideas for warm clothing?
Crochet Cashmere Hat at Etsy
Wicking clothing is the best invention in the last 50 years!
ReplyDeleteYou can find ANYTHING in a in this fabric. I actually got a pair of boxers for x-mas that are wicking. It's a perfect addition to my all-wicking base layer for winter hiking. :-)