Sensible clothing for surviving the London winter weather

Instead of sticking to my usual latte order, I ended up heading to Gail’s for a hot chocolate today. It feels like we’re back in Scandinavia for the week, so here’s what else we’ve been doing differently:

1. Overalls
Wether it’s walking outside in snowy weather or making snow angels in the garden, the kids waterproof shell trousers from Norwegian brand Helly Hansen and Swedish brand Polarn O Pyret have come in handy. We seem to be making more and more use of these types of overalls. They are not padded like our ski trousers, and I like them mainly because they can keep the kids dry when playing in the snow – or playing football on a muddy field, or falling on a wet ice skating rink.

2. Wool
Having grown up in Norway, wool base layers are a must for us, and this week I’ve been dressing the children in both wool leggings and long-sleeved tops. Wool helps regulate the body temperature and absorbs moisture quickly, meaning the layers will dry quicker than cotton if they get wet from snow. I’m also a big fan of Norwegian brand WoolLand, which offers both merino wool layers and merino wool clothes that can be worn on their own. The children’s merino wool sweatpants, tops, skirts and jumpers have been ideal for keeping warm after school and on weekends.

3. Tights
For women’s tights my favourites are the black Falke Softmerino (£32). They are comfortable to wear and not too chunky – exactly what I need for layering up under everyday wear. For the kids, I stick to MP wool and cotton tights (£20 from Childrensalon), as they are designed for the wool to be on the outside and the cotton on the inside, which is great for ensuring they not only keep them warm but also feel comfortable for the children to wear.

4. Mittens
In snowy weather, waterproof mittens are also a must. Finnish brand Reima offers the opportunity to buy rain mittens and fleece mittens, which means you can layer up on mittens. Big Boy has been wearing Reima rain mittens over his favourite knitted mittens. When it is extremely cold, however, mittens with lining, such as Reima Winter Mittens with wool pile lining look like good options. For skiing, my favourite brand for mittens is Hestra.

Tags: Accessories, Children's fashion, Childrensalon, Falke, Helly Hansen, Hestra, Mittens, MP Denmark, Outerwear, Reima, Tights, Winter, WoolLand