xox

I know that this has be discussed before but here we go again. I usually travel in May and June and have wonderful light weight black knit pants that wash and wear wonderfully. I wear these year round since I live in the warm South of USA. Any way, going to London and Paris the second week of Jan and I know it will be cold. Should I buy silk underwear to wear under these pants or invest in wool pants that I can't wear at home later? I want to be warm. Any suggestions. I have never worn the silk underwear how warm are they? I will have wool jacket/sweaters and rain jacket,hat,scarf and gloves.

sally

I find I am warm by wearing a pair of tights under my pants. I find the silk long underwear under pants uncomfortable.

Anne

xxx, I have worn silk underwear and found it to be very comfortable and warm. Silk is a very good insulator, and it won't make you look fat as bulky clothes will.

I've been to London in January and have not found it to be very cold, but every winter is different. You can buy silk underwear from LL Bean, Lands End and a silk underwear maker that sends out catalogs . . . I can't recall their name, but try searching on Google.

Have a great trip. There's always lots to do in London, whatever the temperature.

Erin

I think investing in the silk underwear is a great idea. Anyone who has read this board before knows the golden rule of packing for London- pack lots of light layers. Another advantage of silk underwear is that is breathes well. We are traveling to London in February, and my mother (who is from TX) is also bringing an extra pair of gloves and wool socks for the evenings, which may also be a good idea for you. Have a good time!

Ronda

My only thought on the wool pants is, what if it rains? Won't they take a long time to dry?

janis

Silk Long underwear is a great investment. They feel so good next to your skin and are very warm. Don't take wool slacks. I do ocassionally - but much prefer good looking synthetics or knits for travel. No dry cleaning, etc.

take silk underwear, good socks, a warm hat and gloves

kjulie

I am also a southerner (New Orleans)and I don't mean to contradict the others but my body is NOT used to cold weather at all. I did not find that the sild thermals were good enough to keep me warm. I ended up wearing leggings and silk thermal underwear under my pants in Paris in January.

I found that the best way to keep my legs warm was to wear lined wind pants under my pants. I know this may sound overboard and bulkie but my legs HURT when they get cold. I would not want to have trouble walking around on my trip to Europe because of leg pain.

kjulie

I am also a southerner (New Orleans)and I don't mean to contradict the others but my body is NOT used to cold weather at all. I did not find that the silk thermals were good enough to keep my legs warm. I ended up wearing knit leggings and silk thermal underwear under my pants in Paris in January.

I found that the best way to keep my legs warm was to wear lined wind pants under my pants. I know this may sound overboard and bulkie but my legs HURT when they get cold. I would not want to have trouble walking around on my trip to Europe because of leg pain.

xxx

Bring leggings or tights, and wear them under your slacks. If you are really concerned about the cold, you can also wear stockings under the tights as a 3rd layer against your legs.

If you bring warm socks, a flannel scarf for your neck, and a headband for over your ears, you will probably be comfortable.

By the way: Being from a Southern or Northern region is not really a factor in the amount of coldness a person feels. I have lived all my life in northeast USA, and will NEVER get used to winters. Cold weather is always a painful shock to the body.

xox

Thank you to all who answered. It looks like I will be investing in some good silk thermal underwear and not wool pants!

Nancy

Another advantage of silk longjohns you can slip into a ladies room and remove them and stuff them in your bag if it gets too warm thoughout the day. Sometimes museums and dept. stores can get really warm when they turn up the heat and then you are literally steaming and miserable, so off the silk and enjoy.

Dottie

As noted by others, silk long johns come in a variety of weights. Unless it is August, I always take some with.
Look up WinterSilks on the web. They have a big selection and an online catalogue.

scratch

Wouldn't woolly pants be a bit itchy. Personally I wear cotten pants under my trousers.

x

Silk underwear is very comfortable - we use it all the time for skiing - top to bottom, and socks too.

Wool is fine too - if it's a very light weight 100% wool - better trousers for men. In Paris last December-January it did rain, and my pants dried out fast. Look at Nautica or Perry Ellis, just two examples - many in stores.

A good hat, cashmere scarf and warm gloves with rabbit fur or cashmere interior. And take a small umbrella.

We're all from the south, and yet brave the cold - no problema, with a few precautions. Have a good trip.

Christina

I think you should invest in the silk underwear but even so, I don't think lightweight knit pants are going to work in January in northern Europe, even with them. YOu should invest also in some heavier weight pants, although not wool, necessarily. Perhaps you mean something other than I'm envisionig, but lightweight knit sounds to me similar to T-shirt material. I'd buy heavier pants and take the underwear just in case. I find wearing tights all day extremely uncomfortable and would never do that, the silk underwear is less constricting (it's not skintight like tights are) and a natural fiber.

bubby

I prefer good itchy wool underwear and silk trousers....ummmm it itches so good

silkysmooth

Hello:
I just ordered silk underwear / accessories online from Wintersilk.com. as we are off to Paris in 4 weeks. I have not tried wearing them yet but it is very light and soft.
I'm sure it's a good investment!!

Silky One

Not only are they light and warm and natural, but you can wash them in the sink at night and they will be dry by morning, so you dont have to wash out the outer pants so often. I agree that you will need heavier pants, my friend wore knit leggings when they were in style for a winter trip to Italy and froze her medium sized buns off.

Joanne

My family and I were in London last January, and it snowed for the first time in 6 years. We live in Minnesota where the temps sometimes reach 30 degrees BELOW zero, with a windchill of 50 degrees BELOW zero. So we are accustomed to very cold weather. We all froze our A**ES off. The first stop in Oxford was at a clothing store where we all bought sweatshirts, mittens and wool caps. This weather was very uncommon, however. I would suggest you go with your silk underwear plan, but be ready to buy something warmer in London if it's cold.

Beth

Do they still make leg warmers like ballerinas wear for warm ups. I used to work in an office that was so cold I would slip them on over my slacks while at my desk. You are going to be in a coat anyway, so dark leg warmers shouldn't even be noticed while wearing them. You don't even have to remove shoes to pull them off if not needed. Just think gloves for the legs.