THE Clothing & Temperature Thread (merged)

[dooberheim]

It's about 60 F in this room right now (20 F outside). I'm in boxers and a bathrobe.

I think if people wear warm clothes inside, like I see a lot of people do at work, they feel more cold when they go outside. I find that if I wear the same clothes year round, that I get used to the temperature as it changes with the seasons. The temperature in my house swings over 30 degrees with the seasons. It's a lot of the reason I can dispense with gas heat (woodstove is sufficient) in the winter and A/C in the summer.

Acclimatization, in other words.

DK

[WildRose]

We keep our house at about 60 or 62 most of the time. Some days, it seems chillier than others, especially when the temperature outside is -20 (or colder) and there's a stiff windchill. I guess our family uniform for winter is just pants, T-shirts, hoodies. Our daughter wears her warm pajamas whenever she isn't going out. Each of us has a good pair of slippers. We keep fleece throws on the couches for inactive times. I prefer dressing in layers because when I'm busy around the house, which is often, I can peel down to where I'm comfortable.

[ACrisisAwaits]

What is more comfortable to wear in summer, a wicking polyester sports t-shirt, or a cotton t-shirt?

[overlever]

mostly sweat pants, a t-shirt or hoodie, and if it is really cold a pair of slippers. But I have quite some "personal insulation" and am therefore not as frostbite-prone as most.

[drew]

We hang out under tons of blankets. We have at least five or so in our living room. We keep the house around 66 to 68 deg f. Around the house I am usually wearing my work clothes since my job is surprisingly clean. I am almost always barefoot summer or winter, it's just a thing I do. I am often shirtless too, depending on the weather. Right now I am barefoot with pants and a bathrobe on. The robe is very comfy and warm, my son bought it for me for Christmas.

Drew

[WildRose]

The woman who orchestrated our recent trip to China (and who lived in China herself until just a few years ago) swears that silk is the best fabric for beating the heat. She told me it stands up to humidity very well, too.

[dooberheim]

The woman who orchestrated our recent trip to China (and who lived in China herself until just a few years ago) swears that silk is the best fabric for beating the heat. She told me it stands up to humidity very well, too.

Some of the Muslim women at the university where I work have silk outfits for when they run in the summer. I asked one about how she handled running in 100 degree heat all covered up. Silk and cotton...

DK

[dooberheim]

The woman who orchestrated our recent trip to China (and who lived in China herself until just a few years ago) swears that silk is the best fabric for beating the heat. She told me it stands up to humidity very well, too.

Some of the Muslim women at the university where I work have silk outfits for when they run in the summer. I asked one about how she handled running in 100 degree heat all covered up. Silk and cotton...

DK

[Keith_McClary]

Amazing lack of naughty responses.

[allenwrench]

I live in San Diego, so we don't really have a "winter" but we do have days when highs are in the mid 50s and lows in the high 30s.

My parents won't let me turn the heat below 68, but my room tends to hover around 62 due to poor insulation and 3 external walls.

I usually wear (cotton) underwear and a (cotton) t-shirt, followed by (80% cotton) thermal underwear and a (80% cotton) thermal shirt, a pair of acrylic socks, followed by a pear of (70% cotton)sweatpants and a (70% cotton) sweatshirt. This is usually very adequete to remain comfortable. Sometimes I wear another collared 100% polyester fleece sweatshirt over my other sweatshirt.

I know I should probably ditch all the cotton, but I've yet to find polyester underwear. Does anyone know of any?

My parents on the other hand, still dress pretty much like they did in India, which might explain they constant complaining that its cold.

I live in the NE US. I wear sweats inside in winter.

For our forced air nat gas, we keep the thermostat set at 64 at night and keep the heat off during the day. If it is cold in the single digits or teens our house gets down to the low 50's during the day. I spend a lot of time in the snow, so inside temps in the 50's are a great relief to being in single digits outside.

I usually turn on the heat around 9 PM and shut it down at 8 or 9 am. To heat this way cost us $250 a month to heat a modern 2400 sq ft house. (including garage as it has some water pipes in its ceiling).

As the nat gas runs out prices for all heating methods will only keep climbing. Even the coal will run out someday. Winter '08 they said they had a coal crisis brewing in China.

[VMarcHart]

Kudos to your folks, from India or not, for not turning the heater above 68F. We live in Chicago and don't touch the heater until it's at least in the 50's outside. Same for the summer; it has to be in the low 80's before we turn on the A/C.

I'm sure our places have different insulations, and we live in an apartment building, where I'm sure the downstairs neighbor overheats his place (and mine too.)

But that's conservation and efficiency, at least in my book. We live in a society and era of "rich dads", where suffering and hardship is uncool. Most of us are rich dad's kids. God forbid we walk a mile to work and use up the whole peanut butter jar before buying a new one.

I'm proud of your parents, and so should you. I'm proud of you for being a humble person, and looking at conservation not as a sacrifice, but as the responsible thing to do.

Take care!

[BigTex]

I wear my old Jimmy Carter designer cardigan.

[Denny]

I wear my old Jimmy Carter designer cardigan.

It would be a good sign of change if new President Obama wore Jimmy's old cardigan, and started off his mission for real change with the words:

"We'll, we've been off track when it comes to energy for about 28 years now..."

[Tanada]

Does anyone have a working link for Aerogel based fabric?

TIA!

[vtsnowedin]

Does anyone have a working link for Aerogel based fabric?

TIA!

Not me. Never heard of the stuff. I just read through this thread as you bumped it up. It is sad that so many good posters that were here two years ago have moved on to other things. I'm in the wool camp and wear layers Yankee farmer fashion. My kids call me flannel man.

[Fishman]

I've been most impressed with polypropylene underwear lately (yea I know, made from oil). Simple to use, able to keep the house at 60 with minimal discomfort. Still having a hard time of convencing the spouse of the thermal underwear idea or the 60 degree concept.

[Revi]

We keep our house at around 55 on the thermostat, but we use the woodstove when we're hanging out, so it's probably at least 75 in that room, depending on where you are. We only burn about 300 gallons of heating oil a winter, but we don't have our hot water on it either. We wear regular clothing in the house, but need slippers when it's cold because the basement gets cold and even though it's insulated it makes the floors chilly. We use a little electric heater in the room where the computer is, and that just heats the person who is working there. It helps to have a house where the energy costs are under control. I can't imagine living in a house that burns thousands of gallons of oil. It would be a nightmare.

[Tanada]

Does anyone have a working link for Aerogel based fabric?

TIA!

Not me. Never heard of the stuff. I just read through this thread as you bumped it up. It is sad that so many good posters that were here two years ago have moved on to other things. I'm in the wool camp and wear layers Yankee farmer fashion. My kids call me flannel man.

The job currently held by one of my relative's husband is to install insulating blankets on steam lines in industrial plants. When I googled the term on PO.com it came up with this thread where insulated insoles made of the same kind of fabric were mentioned. Given that the mention was 5 years or more ago I thought perhaps someone might have more up to date info on it, the links in that post are broken.

[vtsnowedin]

Does anyone have a working link for Aerogel based fabric?

TIA!

Not me. Never heard of the stuff. I just read through this thread as you bumped it up. It is sad that so many good posters that were here two years ago have moved on to other things. I'm in the wool camp and wear layers Yankee farmer fashion. My kids call me flannel man.

The job currently held by one of my relative's husband is to install insulating blankets on steam lines in industrial plants. When I googled the term on PO.com it came up with this thread where insulated insoles made of the same kind of fabric were mentioned. Given that the mention was 5 years or more ago I thought perhaps someone might have more up to date info on it, the links in that post are broken.

Here is a link to the company that makes it.
http://www.aerogel.com/

[PrestonSturges]

I've been most impressed with polypropylene underwear lately (yea I know, made from oil). Simple to use, able to keep the house at 60 with minimal discomfort. Still having a hard time of convencing the spouse of the thermal underwear idea or the 60 degree concept.

I forced my daughter to wear polypro pants under her jeans while sledding. After an hour I pointed out how her pants were frozen stiff up to the knee and asked how the long johns were working for her. She was impressed.

Even indoors, cotton sucks especially if you got chilled outdoors.

For some reason though, flannel pants are OK as a layer.

I keep an expedition weight polar fleece suit for emergencies and recovering from hypothermia.

There's lots of cheap polar fleece at places like old navy. Wearing a fleece pullover and a fleece vest is good. After that comes a knit cap and fingerless gloves.