Ozziez , your remark about arriving with warm clothes reminded me of when our family was returning from a trip from Florida,, to our home on the west coast of Canada..
Our plane had to stop in Eastern Canada. For some reason ( they never told us why) we could not fly out that same day ( we were going to be home in 5 hours from eastern Canada, we thought!) ,, unfortunately this happened in March.
March in Montreal meant cold and snowy.
We were in capris , and t shirts, and had only tooth brushes in our carry ons.. in the snow..

We had to walk outside the airport to the hotel shuttle in our summer gear,, kids freezing,, and we felt like fools,, can you imagine sandals in the snow,,LOL

We always dress for the plane in a way that can be for cool or warm temps.. no matter where we go, and no matter when,,

I took my daughter to FIVE05 in Clarence St in Sydney on Saturday as it was just chucking it down and she needed a waterproof jacket - actually there are lots of outdoor/ski shops in the area. Being 17, she has only totally impractical fashion outerwear. Wait till we try and buy boots ;)

On the 3rd floor, they had fantastic bargains. I bought her a shaped polar fleece Thukeri by Gondwana for $60.00 reduced from $119.00 - it look somewhat like this but the colours aren't as nice. http://www.gondwanaoutdoor.com.au/in...&ID=136863

We bought the charcoal. The sales guy says it is the warmest fleece and with a waterproof shell and thermal underwear it would be fine for skiing anywhere.

Not sure about that - we will still buy the ski jackets but the combo will be good for when she is backpacking and in the cities etc.

They are on-line www.five05.com.au but I don't think the clothing is up to date. You could call them.

It is getting warmer and warmer in Europe, snow is already a rarity :D

Thanks for the tip about the windproof insulated gloves, heartofthesouth - my hands get cold really easily, so I'll definitely look out for some of these.

Sashh, the opaque tights are a great idea - as you say, they don't take up any room. Have added them to my list.

Bozama - Brrr! You must have all been freezing!!! We will be leaving home in the lightest of summer clothes as it will be about 42 degrees celcius and very, very humid. Our plan is to change into our winter clothes while we are waiting at Singapore airport. We would definitely just curl up and die if we got to Munich without being well wrapped up!

Sarvowinner, you are a life saver. I showed my 16 year old the shaped polarfleece on the Five05 website and she gave it the thumbs up. I'll phone them tomorrow.

I must tell everyone who has responded to my post how very grateful I am to you all. I am fully aware that some people think this is a frivolous and mundane topic, but I doubt that we are the only family from a hot part of the world who are nervous about the cold we'll be experiencing in Europe.

As we never need warm clothes (and therefore don't own any), it is not just a case of making do with what we've got in our wardrobes. Before spending money on the winter clothes we'll need, it is very useful to find out what people wear nowdays in the cold and what they find works for them.

My husband and I both grew up in parts of the world that get freezing in winter, but my children have never experienced cold winters. I firmly believe that us Ozziez will have a much happier time in December and January if we are warm,comfortable and dry.

Nice post Ozziez. Helpful thread!

Where do you live Ozziez?

I hope you get all the clothes you need. I was just on ebay looking at ski jackets and there are some good buys as well. Your thread meshed in well with my own search. Hopefully we will all be warm and comfortable in Europe this Christmas!

Thanks Suze.

Sarvowinner, we live in Brisbane where the weather is beautiful one day, perfect the next! We have lived in Canberra and Sydney too, but long ago. We loved Sydney - you certainly live in a beautiful part of the world, and you have a decent winter! Yes, Ebay is looking promising. I hope you have a wonderful holiday - looking forward to reading about it when you get back.

Ozziez,
I agree with Kellie about the pull over neck warmer.... my family spends either Thanksgiving or Christmas in Europe. We spent last Christmas in Munich and took the neck scarves or warmers with us (2 adults with our 13 yr old daughter and 10 yr old son). They were a big hit with all of us and really helped to keep our necks, ears and face warm as needed. We live in the south and are not used to wearing scarves so the slip on neck wrap were really helpful! Much more practical than a scarf.

We also carry hot packs or warmers to put in our gloves and pockets. They are usually cheaper at Wal- Mart type stores (they were pricey in Germany stores).

Silk type long underwear ("cuddle duds" are the brand I have)really keep my legs warm and cut the wind from getting thru jeans. They do not bother me inside stores, museums etc. but I only tend to wear the bottoms and not the top.