At least for me, trying to keep it even is a major help. I was in the military and got sent some super cold places, and wasn’t allowed to add non-uniform clothing items. Sometimes I’d load up on my torso and groin, but only have light coverings on my extremities, and that was awful. I was so cold. But sometimes I’d put LESS on my torso, and more on my extremities. That actually did a better job. I suspect it has something to do with exposing the chest area to a little cold so the equilibrium is kept. I have no science to back that up, just my one observation.

For undergarments- thermals like one of the comments said already.They are great to layer under your trousers and shirts. If you wear skirts especially longer and fuller skirts; investing in petticoats is not a bad idea. Or at least layer your skirt with other skirts. Material wise-Natural fibers like wool and silk are great at trapping heat. And have been used throughout the centuries during wintertime. Though these materials are expensive; looking for secondhand sweaters and trousers isn't a bad idea when coming to woolen clothing. If you layer these things well, you should be able to keep warm. I recommend a youtuber Karolina Zebrowska's "How did Victorian ladies keep warm?" video even if this style doesn't suit you, she may give you some insight on staying warm. I hope this helps you a little bit. Have a good day :)))

Thermals, sometimes called thermal underwear is you best bet. Wear it as your base layer for extra warm with a shirt, sweater or both over top. Throw a nice jacket on top to go outside and you should be plenty warm

I get cold very easily so I wear so many layers it’s kind of overkill, but it works for me.

I usually wear fuzzy socks around the wintertime and I recommend wearing boots with some lining inside. (The ones with fur-like materials tend to wear out after a few months, so I’d recommend fleece instead.)

I recommend wearing wool trousers, preferably vintage ones with some lining inside - lining in trousers isn’t exactly the thickest material, but for me it makes the biggest difference, even that thin layer helps a lot and it’s just better quality too -. (I found that nowadays a lot of brands don’t make them like that.) When it gets around -10 I usually wear some knitted or fleece lined leggings underneath too.

Now, this is where I get maybe a bit too crazy. With lighter layers I usually wear a top, a t-shirt, a turtleneck, a sweater vest, a blazer and an overcoat. When it’s really bad out, I add a thick scarf to the mix too. I also knit myself some chunky sweaters which are a lot more warm, so with those I just wear a turtleneck under and a light jacket to protect the fabric from mist and rain.

(And of course a hat and gloves. When it’s only around 0 degrees I prefer to wear newsboy hats as wool beanies kind of mat my bangs down too much.)

Do you prefer to dress more masculine or feminine?

My advice is sweaters/jackets. Especially ones with pockets. For winter I usually wear lighter ones, then pile on a couple other ones---one that's moderately heavy and one that's for the cold.

A good wool coat goes a long way. Look for wool trench coats or something similar. If you’re on a budget, army surplus may or may not have some options in black. But black is a department store staple.

Invest in wool leggings, too. Outdoors stores tend to have a lot of options for hiking an whatnot. They’re comfortable under all sorts of pants and skirts, and they’ll be hidden by the stuff you actually want seen. There’s similar shirt undergarments too, but I’ve always found the lower half to be the struggle.

I lived in Minnesota off and on for 30 years. I'd recommend: calf high boots, pants of a warmer sort, and a good coat.

You can look up mori girl, dark mori or strega style/fashion. Those styles are all about layering and pretty comfortable.

Asymmetric flowy skirts and tops in different lenghts, coats, cardigans and (oversized) crochet or knit shawls are great for layering. And have a look at the fabrics you're wearing. Synthetics may seem warm, but they are not breathable and you start sweating in them pretty fast. Cotton and wool fabrics are much better for winter. And don't forget the thigts.

I think it has less to do with whether you are from a tropical country, than your innate tolerance to the cold. At -2 centigrade, I wore a base layer (thermals, both upper and lower), a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, and a puffer jacket. I also wore a beanie, because I have a clean-shaven head.

At -10 centrigade, and with wind blowing, I wore the same base layers, swapped my jeans for technical trousers with insulation, and wore an outer jacket to block the wind.

Why so many layers? Because I was in Hokkaido, and every time I stepped indoors, I had to strip off the outer layers, so as not to melt from the heat(the heaters were on full blast, that I used to open my hotel room window to cool it).

Maybe pedantic; but Celsius or Fahrenheit temperatures? -2F is -19C!!

If you need to add to add to your cold weather wardrobe Costco always has seasonal garments for really cheap. Not worth joining just for that, but definitely a good resource if you are on the fence about joining.

Do you mean -2 to -10 or -2 to +10?

The single most important layer when it's cold, is a windbreaker - something that stops the wind from just howling through your other layers. Ideally it's placed as the very last(outermost) layer, and is also waterproof and breathable (so a membrane garment, like a decent membrane rain jacket+pants). Bonus points for reflectivity, as it's also dark sooner when it's cold.

Next most important layer is the base layer, which is often going to be themal underwear of the kind used for skiing - cheap and very warm, ideally also at least somewhat moisture regulating.

Then you can layer whatever you feel you want/need over that as a mid-layer - maybe you're going somewhere, and would like to show off a (t-)shirt, maybe you're not running an internal nuclear reactor for heat, so a thick sweater may be more your speed, lots of options.

Good socks are also a must - ideally something temperature regulating like wool, in a waterproof membrane boot of some kind that fits you.

Final bit of comfort stuff: gloves that aren't permeable to wind or water, as having your hands stuck in your pockets all the time isn't fun either.

My usual dress up in north MN when it's really cold is two long john bottoms and tops (both Patagonia and light/medium). But, that's expensive if you don't already own them. Over that on the bottom just a pair of jeans. On the top a light or heavy sweatshirt, usually fleece (which is also Patagonia or North Face). Over that a shell. When I'm going to be outside for an extended period in -10F weather, I might even wear two sweatshirt like tops if I'm not going to be super active. I go heavy on the socks, gloves, and hat, but that's a total personal preference. If it's not super cold, then I omit a top and bottom long underwear. Sometimes, I'll wear a normal long sleeve shirt (cotton) over base layer. I recently acquired a down jacket, so I obviously wear less underneath that.

Uniqlo, rei, milsurp, backcountry outfitters, target- doesn’t matter where you get your base, just remember cotton kills when it comes to base and midlayers. Cotton/poly cotton shells are options if dry and below freezing

Base, mid, optional shell-liner, shell

I have a few thermals for “base layers” from Eastern Mountain Sports that work quite well.

Went backpacking last winter for the first time in Ohio. I’d suggest 3 layers for your average cold weather. As for how to do it my base layer is usually a moisture wicking material, second is a long sleeve, non-cotton shirt or a wool quarter zip, and third is a Columbia winter jacket with a removable fleece liner. This kept me warm in 25-35 degree weather for 3 days. Don’t be afraid to add a layer of its more comfortable, just remember to stay dry!

As someone who went to college in upstate NY and experienced the coldest winters of my life- here were my go to’s

I like black wool pea coats, cashmere wool scarves, cashmere or soft wool sweaters with tanks other shirt layers underneath, knee high boots or cute ankle boots with the thickest socks you can use without it looking weird, leggings under jeans or thick black tights under skirts. Leather gloves with lining if your fingers get cold. Name of the game is layers.

Fwiw, I was picked as best dress for my sorority in college back in the day :)

And I got all the above thrift shopping except for the pea coat/tights/boots. Coats especially are worth investing in as high quality as you can afford imo.

Layer creatively. Instead of wearing like a warm sweater under a coat, wear a cami or tank top under a t-shirt under a sweater under a cardigan under a coat.

One thing that helped me feel cute in the winter was to buy a REALLY cute warm coat. It was some designer coat from like Guess or something so it was expensive, but I’ve had it for about 4 years and it was very much worth the money. I no longer feel like a frumpy disaster in the winter.

Layering helps. Base layers with insulation also helps (chk land's end). But also some people are just less susceptible to the cold. By this I mean if you're from Wisconsin, cold in DC likely isn't so bad.

Better quality clothing. I primarily wear wool or cotton and the difference between that and polyester is shocking. Take a look at what your clothing and jackets are made of. Wear whatever flimsy tank you want underneath everything, but a good quality wool layer and a top dry layer will do wonders for your body temp. You loose a lot of heat via your head and your feet so wrap both those babies up-wool socks and sturdy boots, hats/headbands/scarf wrap

I live in Norway, and wool is the way to go. I'm one of those people who are less susceptible to the cold, but I still have some wool clothes available. My mom is basically a popsicle throughtout winter, and she'll layer up: tights or leggings, socks, jumpers or singles or t-shirts, several layers if necessary. Then "regular" clothes on top, like jeans. Sizing up has never been necessary for any of us.

Buying proper wool is important - here, they sell Pierre Robert in the grocery stores, which is a good place to start. It's good quality, not too pricey (but good wool clothes usually aren't cheap either), comes in lots of colours and different types of clothes. The drug stores also sell some stuff, but usually stick to their own brand - still good, though.

I used to have a meltdown about the bumps in socks and tags in underwear.. I can't imagine being so uncomfortable in many layers of clothes.

For summer I'm guessing they wear like weighted clothing. So less layers but still heavy . Me I usually don't wear many layers. Usually a 👕 and 👖 when I'm at home with some slippers and when I'm not in my bedroom also a cap and a hoodie. And when I'm outside also a cap and a hoodie and a jacket. My cap+hoodie combo is a absolute must and the hoodie usually has pockets in the front and the jacket also has multiple pockets. I really need to muffle my ears and limit the light hitting my eyes to not get a sensory overload . I'm also very annoyed when I have to wear socks or have the feeling of being trapped. My childhood trauma made it so that I get a strong fight or flight reflex that gets triggered when I'm trapped or can't leave for some reason or when I get emotional.

I wear pajama shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top at all times at home, regardless of the weather. When I go out, I wear as little as I'm able to get away with. I put out an excessive amount of body heat, and I overheat super easily, so i have to dress as light as possible. Otherwise, I'll faint.

I can't go out if the temperature is above 70°F because I'll overheat almost immediately no matter how lightly I'm dressed. I'm not overweight by any means, and we don't know why I put out as much heat as I do. Doctors have been trying to figure it out for years, and it just gets worse and worse as I get older.

I sleep naked, under a single bedsheet, with the fan on high, and AC running during the winter. If I dont, I'll wake up soaking wet from sweating in my sleep. I can't wear coats or long sleeves in the winter. This results in people giving me odd looks when it's below freezing outside, and I'm in a sleeveless sun dress.

So, no. I don't wear lots of layers. I do the exact opposite. I'd have tits out for Harambe at all times if I could.

Lol no, the coldest my area gets is around 18°C.

Yes! I'm the same! I'm always always in 2 layers, maybe not as extreme as you but I need something fitted top and bottom no matter what, then I style whatever over top. I also get cold easily and don't care and wear full snow gear.

My go to look is fitted turtleneck top, hoodie, leggings, tall socks, and track pants (the swishy water proof kind)

I have a pair of hiking pants that have zipper vents on the sides of the legs.

If you are warm you don't need to take off a whole layer head to toe. I hike lots in winter and wear wind stopping synthetic pants and add on merino wool long underwear when it's under 15 F. If i get warm, I'm never changing my pants, socks, or boots to change the temp, I just remove my hat or shell jacket instead. Same if I get cold, add an upper body layer and don't change the lower body. As long as I'm moving, having lighter layers on bottom never bothers me.

Above 10°F, unless it's inclement weather, pants need no insulation, in my opinion. The thighs heat up so readily that, for me, adding insulation just guarantees I'm going to start sweating, and that is the absolute last thing I want while hiking in freezing temperatures, short of falling in a body of water. Even for my torso, I'm only wearing a synthetic shirt and a thin weather layer. I might add some light insulation somewhere around 20°F between my baselayer and weather layer, but I'm often okay without it. I mainly just manage my face, hands, and feet and accept that the rest of my body is going to be cold in order to prevent sweating.

All that said, you should still bring layers with you to be prepared for whatever you don't expect. In my ruck, I have a Gore-Tex parka and pants, waffle top, and waffle bottom, as well spare shirts, boxers, and socks.

I should add: I tend to overheat easily and sweat heavily. Your mileage may vary.

I have some of the UA cold gear compression pants for under my hiking pants but I only break them out once it’s under 30°, if it dips to 0° I have some Northface Lhotse insulated pants and north face snowboarding pants. If it’s wet I have a set of Gortex shell pants from the marines laying around

Merino leggings under my usual hiking pants. Heavyweight Darn Tough socks.

I’ve only gone as low as maybe -5F with this setup. I keep moving and I stay comfortable.

This is just plain wrong. If there’s even a small amount of wind you might want a sweatshirt in 60 degrees, Id adjust all of them up by 10-15

For the Texas guide. Just add 40 degrees to each of the categories

what kind of protective layer is "note" ?

Why are their faces deep fried

Mittens sweater and ear warmers for +4 Celsius? Climate definitely plays a part in how you dress for outdoor activities.