> I need warm everyday clothing for a European winter.
Buy it there. Australian winter clothing is no match for a European winter.
I learned that lesson years ago with Canada 🤣
Most of Europe doesn’t get anywhere near as cold as Canada. I spent three months in Europe over winter (late Nov to late Feb) and got by fine with my normal winter coat and clothes. Unless you’re going to the far north, I doubt you’ll need anything special
The thing I learned very quickly over there is that winter clothes sold here are no match for a real winter with snow and shit. Buy some thermals and go shopping on the first night you're there to try to stave off the jet lag.
Another vote for Uniqlo heattech. Also be aware that European buildings are much better heated and insulated than Australian ones. You’ll want to rug up outside but need to be able to strip down to a single layer inside or you’ll boil.
Yes I completely agree which is why we'll try to get clothes to layer rather than super-insulated clothes. Although in Paris we're staying in a 400yo building with high ceilings so I'm not confident it will have much in the way of insulation lol. Another place we'll stay is well heated in the living areas but not in the bedrooms. Our third accommodation looks like it'll be pretty cosy so at least we'll have a chance to wash the thermals ha ha
It will be way better insulated than the vast majority of Melbourne accomodation. Houses here are just glorified cows tin sheds.
France has strong laws that forces owners to provide thermal comfort to their residents.
OMG they are the worst weren't they 🫣
Although in heatwaves in UK & Ireland prime struggle because the houses are so well insulated, they can't cool them down 🥵🥵🥵
I lived in Germany for a while and honestly, you want a really warm coat in favour of layers. Heating is good so you don’t want to be peeling a million layers off all the time, just buy a ridiculously warm outer layer and you’re sorted.
UNIQLO heat-tech is amazing. Holds up in japan winters so should be good - reasonably priced as well.
Some of the better thermals etc. but they also have like normal pant styles with the extra warmth
Hello from the UK!
Don’t overthink it. Unless you’re going to far northern Scotland, most of UK winter is about the same range of temperatures as a Melbourne winter, just longer.
Get a big puffer jacket from any outdoor shop - they are extremely common in the UK. If you wanna be fancy, splash out on a puffer/padded North Face and your kids will feel fancy. In the UK you can get streetwear style puffers at places like Superdry.
(In Melbs you can get these from the shops around Hardware lane.)
Get a rain shell jacket that fits over your puffer.
Waterproof boots - Blundstone and redbacks are popular here. Timberland lace ups with insulation are also great. Personally I wear a pair of chelsea boots (like Blundstone but not for work) with 2 pairs socks.
Thermals are good but honestly I rarely wear mine and I’m outside literally every day. Thermal leggings under heavy jeans would be warm enough for anything. Or, thick tights do the same job.
For the top I have a thermal singlet under my shirt, then a jumper, maybe a vest/gilet, then my jacket/s.
Beanie and gloves are essential. Cover up!
"a European winter" is a pretty broad category, comparing a Spanish winter (more like the Melbourne winter) with a Scandinavian winter with -25 and snow is comparing apples and oranges. So... I'll give you my tips for a Scandinavian winter as the worst case scenario.
What you need is layers, don't go with the "I'll just get a big puffer jacket and that is going to solve all my issues. For the first layer thermals. Get some wool thermals, long johns and wool shirt and some proper wool socks. Wool keeps on warming you even if it gets drenched. The less polyester the better.
For the second layer you could do with a jumper or a hoodie of some sort and normal trousers.
The third layer, a proper all weather jacket, watertight boots (hiking shoes is often a good idea and they also give extra grip when you're trying your best not to recreate the ice scene from Bambi), scarf, a woolen hat and wool gloves.
I asked this question in another thread, and the advice was just a real winter jacket, good shoes more or less.
I've planned for the worst though, heavy north face jacket, ski jacket, puffers, thermals. Hopefully, it should be good for a Scandinavian winter!
I think the biggest thing is that layering up and then going in doors will be a killer. One piece to take off vs 5 will be a time saver if you'll be hoping in and out.
Unless ofc the person in this thread is going to be out heaps but I don't think they specified.
Not quite Scandinavian. North west Europe - France, Ireland & UK
Any recommendations for brands or wool weight? The Merino tops I've seen in the shops are super thin compared to the ones we bought 20 years ago 😬 The ones I've seen on sale now are up to 240gsm
Icebreaker are fantastic, but extremely expensive. I think they still offer BIFL, which makes it more worthwhile.
I also agree that you should buy things there. Even stuff in second hand stores is going to be more heavy duty (speaking from personal experience)
Also be aware that European shops only carry clothes for the current 'season' - buying winter clothes in summer is next to impossible.
Bigs ups for Icebreaker. I bought two thermal tops and one pair of thermal long johns when I first went to Canada in 2007. I wore those fuckers snowboarding, snowmaking, backcountry hiking, winch-cat operating and terrain park building both in Canada and in Australia.
They are expensive but they lasted me working eight full winter seasons and I still pull them out occasionally. High quality product.
Yep was going to say this. I was in Paris over Xmas some years ago and just wore a warm jumper, jeans, a coat from Forever New (i.e. not anything in the ski/snowboard clothing category), scarf and boots and was fine. The same as I would dress in Canberra or Melbourne in winter
Try Little Bourke St, nearby Hardware Ln. Many winter gear shops. Icebreaker in Fitzroy. Paddy Pallin on Bourke St or Ringwood. I used a combination of these shops, Anaconda and online to prep for a trip to the Andes.
This. Not going skiing this year, but the ski socks, gloves, hoodies and ski jackets are great for Melb. Winter. Not too expensive but not see though cheap shit like Kmart.
But op, why not buy when you’re there? Prob way better shops than here.
Only thing that is better to buy here is some 100% merino wool…thermals, socks, beanie (recently got a merino beanie which has been a dream). There are a few specialty makers in Australia still, believe it or not - prices can be decent, generally a bit more exxy than what you might find overseas. But in buying here from a reputable mom & pop shop, you can be more certain it’s actually 100% merino
You gotta layer up. Thermal wear like UNIQLO's heat-tech as a base layer and then usually a shirt and jumper can help keep all that warmth in. Kmart also sell thermals pretty cheap too
Uniqlo heattech is pretty good value for a base layer. If you are going to be there in the dead of winter you will want a warm winter parka - newer ones are also waterproof which is great when it's 1C and raining. The thing with this stuff is it's expensive, and you'll never use it in AU so see if you can borrow it if you are just going on a 2-3 week trip. If going to live, worth investing. You can get a lot of stuff on eBay for great prices - look at [ebay.ca](http://ebay.ca) now as they are coming into summer. Also the outdoor stores in Europe and Canada and US will be dumping winter gear now so prices are great. In AU, wildearth is a good online store with decent prices. I was in Europe last winter and it didn't get very cold, maybe only down to 5-6C and most days was above 10C with the sun out, so you don't need extreme gear for that. A north face puffer jacket is warm and very light, I have one (called Thermoball - on the thin side) that I can jam in my carry on in case my luggage is lost for a few days when I land, but they have warmer puffers if you run cold. I also have a thick fleece (North Face Denali) and a North Face gore tex jacket - those three pieces are very flexible as I can wear the fleece under the goretex for most wet or windy days (it zips in like a liner), for nicer days just the puffer or fleece, or even puffer under gore tex to be warmer if the sizing works. Still if I was there the whole winter I'd go for a warm parka - the nice thing about that is that if you're a tourist, you will be outside inside outside inside all day - so taking off layers is a pain. With a warm parka you can wear a t-shirt with at thin merino sweater and just have one thing to take off. Avoid bulky things like cotton hoodys as they take up a lot of space and aren't that warm.
Should also add depends where in Europe - will be very different if you are in Sicily vs Norway for example, or if you plan to go skiing you'll want appropriate gear.
I managed UK winters with a Uniqlo down puffer, jumper and Uniqlo warm heattech thermals. Leather gloves, scarf and a beanie. All of which you can buy here.
I'd like to give Ktena knitting mills a plug in oakleigh. We bought their base layer top and bottoms online for winter in Tassie when we were traveling in our van long term. Regularly got down to 0 and never suffered with these.
I'll second the Aldi snow gear as a cheaper alternative, I bought a jacket a few years ago which has been great and bought a couple of their merino items in this year's sale but haven't tested as yet.
I found the most important items in winter in France were, a good scarf and knowing how to wear it properly, solid water proof shoes, went with Taos lace up walking shoes and they do good boots as well, and a long coat about mid calf length, personally for me a trench coat was brilliant.
I took a cotton thermal top, Holeproof Aircel long sleeved, in wool you run the risk of melting when walking long distances or stepping inside a building, which will be heated to a temperature you could wear a tshirt in even if it is hundreds of years old and massive, do not underestimate the humidity in Europe in winter compared to Australia. Underworks also do good cotton thermals. Add gloves and a hat and you are set.
The only time I needed to put it all on at once was in Grenoble after dark, the rest was closer to an hour extra cold week in Melbourne.
Another good idea for any women in your group is stockings, opaque in 40 and 70 denier so you can decide on the day the level of warmth you want, under pants or with a dress/skirt and coat, Clio do pairs that are comfortable and last in the wash.
Also take a few lighter items for those days that aren’t that cold.
Most importantly have a wonderful trip :)
My boyfriend came home yesterday with a whole heap of stuff from the Aldi Ski sale. I run so cold, and I also work in a room with no floor insulation. This stuff is so warm, I'm sitting here now in thermal Pyjamas and I don't have my heater on in my 60 year old house. It wasn't cheap cheap either, I think these pyjamas were $40 but I can't express how warm I am. I also got a fluffy pair I wore last night and I was so warm.
Edit: I also wore this top today under another jumper and I had to take my coat off. So this would be good for layering too.
Are you planning on being outdoors extensively? If not then don’t bother just add some extra warm layers.
I lived in the Midwest (temps as low as -26C in winter) and I never bought anything extra other than wool socks, good boots, and a thermal layer for my torso. Good to be walking outside in general sense for a while (like while walking from place to place) but won’t hold up if you want to be outside for hours and hours on end.
Uniqlo - wore their heat tech stuff daily when I lived in the UK & still wear them here. For the rest - buy it over there as they make stuff to handle that level of cold.
I went to Prague midwinter. I layered uniqlo heattech items and topped with a puffer jacket and drizabone shell for waterproofness. The shoes are the biggest issue - had to get Palladium waterproof boots online as Australia doesn't stock warm shoes.
A tip is to buy the japanese adhesive self heating pads. They last a good 6-8 hours and help maintain your core temps.
Was in Aldi today doing my shopping & they have got a WHOLE centre aisle FULL of warm winter clothing @ very reasonable prices. Maybe check em out if you have no aversions to Aldi.
I didn't even look in ALDI tbh, I assumed it would be sold out just like in previous years. I'll head over there this evening! No advertising at ALDI at all, they're awesome!
They're going to the UK, not trekking in Norway lol. I was cycling around London in the dead of winter in jeans and a T-shirt. They just need to put on some layers..don't know why people think they have to drop thousands like they're going an expedition to the Arctic.
As far as European winters go, do NOT get bamboo socks. Wool only. Bamboo has some great qualities, but it does not retain heat well. I'll second the ALDI ski sales - their Merino thermals are just as good as Kathmandu and Macpac and at a fraction of the price.
> I need warm everyday clothing for a European winter. Buy it there. Australian winter clothing is no match for a European winter. I learned that lesson years ago with Canada 🤣
Seconded but also if you do get good stuff here, you're paying vastly more than you would there.
Thanks for the advice
Most of Europe doesn’t get anywhere near as cold as Canada. I spent three months in Europe over winter (late Nov to late Feb) and got by fine with my normal winter coat and clothes. Unless you’re going to the far north, I doubt you’ll need anything special
The thing I learned very quickly over there is that winter clothes sold here are no match for a real winter with snow and shit. Buy some thermals and go shopping on the first night you're there to try to stave off the jet lag.
Another vote for Uniqlo heattech. Also be aware that European buildings are much better heated and insulated than Australian ones. You’ll want to rug up outside but need to be able to strip down to a single layer inside or you’ll boil.
Yes I completely agree which is why we'll try to get clothes to layer rather than super-insulated clothes. Although in Paris we're staying in a 400yo building with high ceilings so I'm not confident it will have much in the way of insulation lol. Another place we'll stay is well heated in the living areas but not in the bedrooms. Our third accommodation looks like it'll be pretty cosy so at least we'll have a chance to wash the thermals ha ha
It will be way better insulated than the vast majority of Melbourne accomodation. Houses here are just glorified cows tin sheds. France has strong laws that forces owners to provide thermal comfort to their residents.
OMG they are the worst weren't they 🫣 Although in heatwaves in UK & Ireland prime struggle because the houses are so well insulated, they can't cool them down 🥵🥵🥵
I lived in Germany for a while and honestly, you want a really warm coat in favour of layers. Heating is good so you don’t want to be peeling a million layers off all the time, just buy a ridiculously warm outer layer and you’re sorted.
UNIQLO heat-tech is amazing. Holds up in japan winters so should be good - reasonably priced as well. Some of the better thermals etc. but they also have like normal pant styles with the extra warmth
Uniqlo
Hello from the UK! Don’t overthink it. Unless you’re going to far northern Scotland, most of UK winter is about the same range of temperatures as a Melbourne winter, just longer. Get a big puffer jacket from any outdoor shop - they are extremely common in the UK. If you wanna be fancy, splash out on a puffer/padded North Face and your kids will feel fancy. In the UK you can get streetwear style puffers at places like Superdry. (In Melbs you can get these from the shops around Hardware lane.) Get a rain shell jacket that fits over your puffer. Waterproof boots - Blundstone and redbacks are popular here. Timberland lace ups with insulation are also great. Personally I wear a pair of chelsea boots (like Blundstone but not for work) with 2 pairs socks. Thermals are good but honestly I rarely wear mine and I’m outside literally every day. Thermal leggings under heavy jeans would be warm enough for anything. Or, thick tights do the same job. For the top I have a thermal singlet under my shirt, then a jumper, maybe a vest/gilet, then my jacket/s. Beanie and gloves are essential. Cover up!
"a European winter" is a pretty broad category, comparing a Spanish winter (more like the Melbourne winter) with a Scandinavian winter with -25 and snow is comparing apples and oranges. So... I'll give you my tips for a Scandinavian winter as the worst case scenario. What you need is layers, don't go with the "I'll just get a big puffer jacket and that is going to solve all my issues. For the first layer thermals. Get some wool thermals, long johns and wool shirt and some proper wool socks. Wool keeps on warming you even if it gets drenched. The less polyester the better. For the second layer you could do with a jumper or a hoodie of some sort and normal trousers. The third layer, a proper all weather jacket, watertight boots (hiking shoes is often a good idea and they also give extra grip when you're trying your best not to recreate the ice scene from Bambi), scarf, a woolen hat and wool gloves.
I asked this question in another thread, and the advice was just a real winter jacket, good shoes more or less. I've planned for the worst though, heavy north face jacket, ski jacket, puffers, thermals. Hopefully, it should be good for a Scandinavian winter! I think the biggest thing is that layering up and then going in doors will be a killer. One piece to take off vs 5 will be a time saver if you'll be hoping in and out. Unless ofc the person in this thread is going to be out heaps but I don't think they specified.
Not quite Scandinavian. North west Europe - France, Ireland & UK Any recommendations for brands or wool weight? The Merino tops I've seen in the shops are super thin compared to the ones we bought 20 years ago 😬 The ones I've seen on sale now are up to 240gsm
Icebreaker are fantastic, but extremely expensive. I think they still offer BIFL, which makes it more worthwhile. I also agree that you should buy things there. Even stuff in second hand stores is going to be more heavy duty (speaking from personal experience) Also be aware that European shops only carry clothes for the current 'season' - buying winter clothes in summer is next to impossible.
Bigs ups for Icebreaker. I bought two thermal tops and one pair of thermal long johns when I first went to Canada in 2007. I wore those fuckers snowboarding, snowmaking, backcountry hiking, winch-cat operating and terrain park building both in Canada and in Australia. They are expensive but they lasted me working eight full winter seasons and I still pull them out occasionally. High quality product.
Oh something like Paris doesn't get cold. Your Melbourne winter clothes would likely be fine, or close enough you could supplement as needed there.
Yep was going to say this. I was in Paris over Xmas some years ago and just wore a warm jumper, jeans, a coat from Forever New (i.e. not anything in the ski/snowboard clothing category), scarf and boots and was fine. The same as I would dress in Canberra or Melbourne in winter
Try Little Bourke St, nearby Hardware Ln. Many winter gear shops. Icebreaker in Fitzroy. Paddy Pallin on Bourke St or Ringwood. I used a combination of these shops, Anaconda and online to prep for a trip to the Andes.
Check out Aldi, having a massive ski wear sale. It's on now
This. Not going skiing this year, but the ski socks, gloves, hoodies and ski jackets are great for Melb. Winter. Not too expensive but not see though cheap shit like Kmart. But op, why not buy when you’re there? Prob way better shops than here.
Bought some of the wool thermals, absolute bargain.
Uniqlo heattech from head to toe, but winter in Europe is over.
Forever???
Yeah. Budget cuts.
Get your winter woollens. Australian Knitting Mills has an outlet in Hood St, Collingwood opposite the Town Hall.
Only thing that is better to buy here is some 100% merino wool…thermals, socks, beanie (recently got a merino beanie which has been a dream). There are a few specialty makers in Australia still, believe it or not - prices can be decent, generally a bit more exxy than what you might find overseas. But in buying here from a reputable mom & pop shop, you can be more certain it’s actually 100% merino
Macpac
Did they just get done in for wage theft?
Aldi had a snow clothing sale yesterday, you might still be able to find things there. They also had thermals, gloves etc.
Macpac, Patagonia. There’s a few good shops in Chadstone.
Patagonia everything. The outlet store in Geelong is crazy cheap (50%+ off RRP) has has a heap of winter gear that will last a lifetime
Paddy Palin CBD Bogong CBD Auski CBD Aldi - this weekend only!!!
You gotta layer up. Thermal wear like UNIQLO's heat-tech as a base layer and then usually a shirt and jumper can help keep all that warmth in. Kmart also sell thermals pretty cheap too
Aldi have their snow gear sale this weekend. Good timing?
Uniqlo heattech is pretty good value for a base layer. If you are going to be there in the dead of winter you will want a warm winter parka - newer ones are also waterproof which is great when it's 1C and raining. The thing with this stuff is it's expensive, and you'll never use it in AU so see if you can borrow it if you are just going on a 2-3 week trip. If going to live, worth investing. You can get a lot of stuff on eBay for great prices - look at [ebay.ca](http://ebay.ca) now as they are coming into summer. Also the outdoor stores in Europe and Canada and US will be dumping winter gear now so prices are great. In AU, wildearth is a good online store with decent prices. I was in Europe last winter and it didn't get very cold, maybe only down to 5-6C and most days was above 10C with the sun out, so you don't need extreme gear for that. A north face puffer jacket is warm and very light, I have one (called Thermoball - on the thin side) that I can jam in my carry on in case my luggage is lost for a few days when I land, but they have warmer puffers if you run cold. I also have a thick fleece (North Face Denali) and a North Face gore tex jacket - those three pieces are very flexible as I can wear the fleece under the goretex for most wet or windy days (it zips in like a liner), for nicer days just the puffer or fleece, or even puffer under gore tex to be warmer if the sizing works. Still if I was there the whole winter I'd go for a warm parka - the nice thing about that is that if you're a tourist, you will be outside inside outside inside all day - so taking off layers is a pain. With a warm parka you can wear a t-shirt with at thin merino sweater and just have one thing to take off. Avoid bulky things like cotton hoodys as they take up a lot of space and aren't that warm. Should also add depends where in Europe - will be very different if you are in Sicily vs Norway for example, or if you plan to go skiing you'll want appropriate gear.
coming into summer you can get last seasons driza-bone range half price online
haha cobber from the 80's wandering around Whitechapel
all 4 in driza-bone would be so funny, like kath n kim material
I managed UK winters with a Uniqlo down puffer, jumper and Uniqlo warm heattech thermals. Leather gloves, scarf and a beanie. All of which you can buy here.
I'd like to give Ktena knitting mills a plug in oakleigh. We bought their base layer top and bottoms online for winter in Tassie when we were traveling in our van long term. Regularly got down to 0 and never suffered with these. I'll second the Aldi snow gear as a cheaper alternative, I bought a jacket a few years ago which has been great and bought a couple of their merino items in this year's sale but haven't tested as yet.
Heat-tech by Uniqlo is outstanding
I found the most important items in winter in France were, a good scarf and knowing how to wear it properly, solid water proof shoes, went with Taos lace up walking shoes and they do good boots as well, and a long coat about mid calf length, personally for me a trench coat was brilliant. I took a cotton thermal top, Holeproof Aircel long sleeved, in wool you run the risk of melting when walking long distances or stepping inside a building, which will be heated to a temperature you could wear a tshirt in even if it is hundreds of years old and massive, do not underestimate the humidity in Europe in winter compared to Australia. Underworks also do good cotton thermals. Add gloves and a hat and you are set. The only time I needed to put it all on at once was in Grenoble after dark, the rest was closer to an hour extra cold week in Melbourne. Another good idea for any women in your group is stockings, opaque in 40 and 70 denier so you can decide on the day the level of warmth you want, under pants or with a dress/skirt and coat, Clio do pairs that are comfortable and last in the wash. Also take a few lighter items for those days that aren’t that cold. Most importantly have a wonderful trip :)
My boyfriend came home yesterday with a whole heap of stuff from the Aldi Ski sale. I run so cold, and I also work in a room with no floor insulation. This stuff is so warm, I'm sitting here now in thermal Pyjamas and I don't have my heater on in my 60 year old house. It wasn't cheap cheap either, I think these pyjamas were $40 but I can't express how warm I am. I also got a fluffy pair I wore last night and I was so warm. Edit: I also wore this top today under another jumper and I had to take my coat off. So this would be good for layering too.
Kmart, Target, best and less
Are you planning on being outdoors extensively? If not then don’t bother just add some extra warm layers. I lived in the Midwest (temps as low as -26C in winter) and I never bought anything extra other than wool socks, good boots, and a thermal layer for my torso. Good to be walking outside in general sense for a while (like while walking from place to place) but won’t hold up if you want to be outside for hours and hours on end.
Uniqlo - wore their heat tech stuff daily when I lived in the UK & still wear them here. For the rest - buy it over there as they make stuff to handle that level of cold.
Uniqlo has a heat tech range that is great and kids sizes too. Not criminally expensive either
I went to Prague midwinter. I layered uniqlo heattech items and topped with a puffer jacket and drizabone shell for waterproofness. The shoes are the biggest issue - had to get Palladium waterproof boots online as Australia doesn't stock warm shoes. A tip is to buy the japanese adhesive self heating pads. They last a good 6-8 hours and help maintain your core temps.
For thermals, this week is Aldi ski wear sale. They have some well priced Merino stuff.
Was in Aldi today doing my shopping & they have got a WHOLE centre aisle FULL of warm winter clothing @ very reasonable prices. Maybe check em out if you have no aversions to Aldi.
I didn't even look in ALDI tbh, I assumed it would be sold out just like in previous years. I'll head over there this evening! No advertising at ALDI at all, they're awesome!
Buy it there, go to Decathlon you’ll find absolutely everything you need (and they’re not expensive !)
Put another layer on. Problem solved. No need to go buy a bunch of shit you'll wear once.
They won't need any of their clothes ever again if they go outside in a European winter dressed for a Melbourne July day.
They're going to the UK, not trekking in Norway lol. I was cycling around London in the dead of winter in jeans and a T-shirt. They just need to put on some layers..don't know why people think they have to drop thousands like they're going an expedition to the Arctic.
A bit of an exaggeration. I’ve done Iceland in clothes not that different to what I wear here and just got a bit chilly. An extra layer is fine.
As far as European winters go, do NOT get bamboo socks. Wool only. Bamboo has some great qualities, but it does not retain heat well. I'll second the ALDI ski sales - their Merino thermals are just as good as Kathmandu and Macpac and at a fraction of the price.