Never be cold again: Woolpower

I've decided enough with being cold here in Toronto. I know there are colder places in Canada, but this city is plenty cold for a native Californian.

So the one thing I really dislike is long underwear, but I've finally come to terms that if I want to be warm while walking outside for over two hours, I need to be completely cocooned in warm wool.

I first noticed Woolpower at Westerlind and thought it looked intriguing. Last week I went to the Canadian Outdoor Equipment store in Mississauga, which has an astonishing range of axes for sale, and spent a bit of time trying on different sizes and styles before settling on a zip turtleneck in green and longies in black. I don't think I've ever worn such warm yet lightweight wool thermals before. The knit is flat on the outside and terry-loop on the insides, which gives it a lofty or spongy feel. For sizing, I went with XS for both top and bottom (normally a size 4-6). The crewneck top seemed to be longer in the torso than the zip-neck, but both styles are plenty long for preventing gaps when moving around. My one complaint is that the long underwear isn't skintight (nor should it be for heat retention), so I have to layer with boyfriend jeans.

Yesterday it was a sunny 22 degrees Fahrenheit. I wore a Uniqlo Heattech tanktop, Woolpower top and longies, Steven Alan cotton overalls in white, Steven Alan flannel reverse seam shirt, Patagonia down vest, and Patagonia Torrentshell in golden amber for wind protection. I also bought Woolpower insoles for my Blundstones, and my feet are heaps warmer. I walked along the rail line on the north side of Toronto and was quite cozy for the hour-long jaunt.