In August, I posted a review of Lon Gundie’s summer leggings, shirts and rashguards.
Today, I’m sharing the good Lon Gundie news regarding winter baselayers for the entire family.
But first, a recap.
Lon Gundie caught my eye via Instagram when I saw their beautifully patterned and vibrantly colored rashguards and summer leggings. Their offerings immediately struck me as layers I’d love to show off, not cover up. Which is exactly the point during summer, when one seeks sun protection.
Come winter, baselayers serve a different purpose. They have to be insulating, offering protection from the cold as well as comfort, under other clothing and outerwear.
Since winter baselayers generally hide under layers of other clothing, you might think colors and patterns are not so important. I disagree. Over the years, especially as après skirts have become more popular, I find my baselayers making more and more public appearances.
So it’s a bonus when the layers I’m wearing work well under my ski clothes and look fantastic when hanging out with friends.
Lon Gundie Winter Layers for Women, Men and Juniors
Let’s start with the fabric. Aside from how it looks (and I think it looks amazing), what’s really important is how it feels.
All Lon Gundie winter baselayers are made of Winterwarm™ fabric, a blend of 85% polyester and 15% spandex.
The fabric has a nice heft to it. It feels substantial. While the outside is smooth and slides well under sweaters, fleeces and jackets, the inside of the fabric is slightly fleecy, or as Lon Gundie founder Seth Bruno puts it, “peached.” Think of a fuzzy, ripe peach and that’s kind of how the fabric appears – only it’s never scratchy and always soft next to your skin.
My husband, who is somewhat skeptical of any baselayers that aren’t wool, was impressed when he put them on.
“These feel really good,” he told me. “They feel warm.”
I agree. You put Lon Gundie baselayers on and then you consider never taking them off.
Since I received a set of winter Lon Gundie baselayers, I’ve found myself coming up with excuses to wear them, sporting the leggings under skirts and wearing the tops under vests and light jackets, with jeans. They keep me warm and looking good wherever I go. I doubt most people who see them would even consider them “long underwear.”
And while my husband doesn’t sport his baselayers in public, he likes the break away from basic black, too.
What About Performance?
Lon Gundie fabric is treated with an antibacterial process to prevent odor accumulation. This doesn’t mean they are stink-free. You sweat in them and odors will eventually accumulate, but luckily they are easy to clean: just wash cold and hang dry (you can dry them, too).
Compared to wool baselayers, Lon Gundie’s synthetic blend fabric definitely retains more odor. On the plus side, the insulating, luxurious softness of Lon Gundie baselayers is perfect for people who don’t like wool, find it itchy or irritating, are looking for the softness layers around or simply prefer synthetics.
As for technical features and fit, both the men’s and women’s tops have raglan sleeves for optimal movement, flat lock seams to avoid irritation, heat-bonded stretchy cuffs that hold their shape and a “second skin” smooth fit.
The men’s and women’s bottoms have similar features: flat lock seams, heat-bonded cuffs, and a “second skin” fit. However, the men’s version has an open fly and a wide elastic waistband with the Lon Gundie logo, while the women’s bottoms have a flattering wide contrasting fabric waistband with elastic sewn in at the top that fits nicely just below the waist.
We found the fit in both the women’s and men’s samples true to size.
Please note that neither the men’s or women’s tops have thumbholes.
New for Winter 2016-17
New stock and designs are coming soon for winter 2016-17. The samples we received are from last year and if you go to the Lon Gundie website today, you’ll see that some of last season’s designs are sold out.
I haven’t yet seen the new patterns, all of which are designed in house by Seth Bruno and his sister Dori Bruno, but I’m sure they will be beautiful.
Plus, this winter, Lon Gundie is launching a line for Juniors.
Stay tuned (and look for a Lon Gundie Holiday giveaway in late November, right here at Braveskimom.com).
Cheers!
To facilitate this post we received product samples as shown above. As always, all opinions are my own and are exactly what I would tell my family and friends.
More Baselayers:
- Winter Baselayer Preview, Part One: Andie’s Outdoor Undies, October 11, 2016.
- Winter Baselayer Preview, Part Two: Woolpower, October 12, 2016.
- Gear Notes: S’No Queen, Block Islands Organic Sunscreen, Speet Wax, January 11, 2016.
- Ski Fashion 2015: Skea, S’No Queen, Rohner, February 25, 2015.
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