guide for a tropical girl in nl: keeping warm
i lived in pj/kl my whole life and so used to the nice weather 30°c :D so when i first came here, it was 19°c…and i was freezing. KEJUNG! i couldn´t imagine how i will have to endure the the winter. but now after surviving my first winter, i´m beginning to understand how to handle it and most importantly, without breaking the bank. since i´ve had some friends asking me which things they should buy for the trip in cold places, i´m writing this hopefully this will help some others as well. i´m no expert but this works for me
- layers - if you´re on a budget, this is always fantastic because you can simply use your old clothes. most important key is to make sure it´s not bulky or you´ll look besau. i always put on at least 1 tank top, 1 thin t shirt (if i wear a sweater i´ll leave this out), 1 thin sweater, 1 cardigan, 1 pair of leggings, 1 trou then the coat and 2 pairs of sock :P
- fleece leggings - this is a life saver. it´s cheap but damn it´s warm. even warmer than long john. important key is to make sure it´s tight like a second skin so that the air won´t touch your skin. i bought mine for 5euros and damn i still use them even if they are tattered from wear and tear
- important body parts to cover - always cover in this order 1. head or at least your ears, 2. your feet 3. your neck 4. your hands. if you have them covered, you´re good
- lamb fleece in soles or fleece socks- if you have boots that is not really keeping you warm, then these help a bit. they are also cheap
- what to splurge on and what not - splurge on 1 pair of winter jacket that has a classic cut because you tend to wear this more, a good pair of boots. the others, you can find for cheap. tank tops, buy those dirt cheap 1 euro for one because you´ll be using that a lot and they always don´t stay shape
- basic wardrobe - at least 1 winter jacket, 1 boots, 1 wool scarf, 1 wool socks, 1 fleece leggings, 1 wool headband to cover ears, 1 wool cardigan, 1 gloves. yes, i love wool. wool is my bestfriend in the winter. and make sure they are in basic colors like black or creme. make sure your jacket and boots are in basic colors like black or beige so that they can match with everything
- ensure no air can go through your clothes - cover you neck with scarf, button up your jacket all the way. when buying a jacket, it helps to buy those with cuffs so that cold air won´t blast in through it. but most of it ugly so i don´t buy them, whooops. tuck in your tank top into your trousers
- don´t sweat - literally, don´t. you get wet. you get cold. geddit
some examples from my own closet or in actual a justification on why i shopped ha ha!
a classic cut jacket. simple, it can match with nearly everything. 68percent wool. by zara
omg, this is my best purchase ever. i actually sweat in these! ok, that´s not good. but they are warm! toasty, fleece lined. waterproof. yet the looks of it doesn´t make me puke. there are fugly looking winter i tell ya. lots. and there were 54gbp. a steal for something that keeps my toes warm and toasty. by tom joules
choosing your winter clothing
- invest in your jacket and boots. don´t skimp on it. i´ve made that mistake and i chose mine because it´s nice and cheap. i suffered. buy a classic looking one because you´ll keep going back to that one.
- material - always look at the percentage of the material that keeps you warm. look for - wool, fleece, down feather, angora. you want lots of that because that keeps you warm. one that keeps you really warm are the ones filled with down feather. they are lighter than the wool ones. wool jacket are normally heavy and after piling on your scarf and layers, i get back and shoulder aches so the down jacket is really great. i also love angora because it´s warm yet thin. perfect combo. for boots, i find that fleece lined high boots are always great. warm and toasty
others
- buy just basics in malaysia or your home country. chances are your destination has more choice and don´t be surprised, cheaper
- if you´re coming to nl, the places you can buy cheap o stuff are in stores like zeeman, wibra, c&a. usually i buy basics at stores like these because for more fashionable stuff i´ll go to h&m and zara. the sales starts 2 weeks before xmas but zara starts on boxing day. zara online boxing day midnight. some other tip about shopping, since i am the mas-taarr of shopping. 1 week before the sales, go around the shops, see what you like, try them, write down the sizes. come the day of sale, you can just grab and go. if you buy online, google for discount codes for more savings. ka ching! i love that concept
ok, hope that helps. keep warm!
