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menopause and fashion

bj1111

Veteran

i seem to have reached it. the worst is the need to sleep with the windows open and the fan on. in the upper midwest, hubs refers to our bedroom as the icebox.

fashionwise, i love the coziness and body feel of cashmere, but run too hot now. it's a bad look to have sweat pouring down from forehead into turtleneck.

any recommendations for replacements? cotton and silk don't have the same cushy feel for winter.

Shopping

30 replies

Latest reply was from Janet

slim cat

Veteran

Rayon or thin cotton top next to the body, then - cashmere or merino wool cardigan ( so you can open it up and cool down a bit ) worked for me so far. Layers, layers.. In time the right combinations will be found.

JAileen

Veteran

I bought this mattress pad during NAS. It really does feel cool. Re clothes, as slim cat says, layers that you can remove. I’ve been having them for YEARS.

https://www.nordstrom.com/s/no.....=wishlist-

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Janet

(website)

Veteran

I’ve been done with that phase for a while now, but my personal thermostat seems to have stayed at a higher temperature — I don’t need the kind of bundling up I once did, especially at night. I don’t tolerate bulky hot sweaters anymore.

I can do thin knits in merino or cashmere, but I haven’t worn even those much in the last few years, because I prefer not to wear them directly next to the skin, and once I put a thin layering tee underneath, I’m often too warm. And I’m not much of a cardigan person. Lightweight zip-front hoodies work for me for a layer that I can open to let some airflow in.

unfrumped

Veteran

Layers. Flinging off covers at night, only to scramble to find them again later. Ceiling fans are great. Remote controls of same are great. Having a pj drawer by the bed with lighter weight cotton T’s or similar. Cotton and linen knits in different weights.

Anonymous

I’m with Janet . Gone are my heavy wool sweaters . Today I wandered around the house in a thin cotton tshirt and jeans and had the patio door open half the day . And I live in Manitoba Sweatshirts seem to work best on the occasional day I actually feel cold . Hormones do weird things .

shiny

Veteran

Are you asking about sleep fashion or day time fashion?

For sleep during peri- and now post a couple of years, I swear by silk for the breathability (I wouldn't have gotten through the worst of hot flashes without Land's End silk long johns!!), but also love Recliner brand which is some sort of cotton blend but I don't know what magic it is, it is breathable, soft and cushy, and repels odors so you can wear night after night before needing to wash, and does not pill (my oldest is 3 years, no pilling, no fading). Also the style is flattering.

For day wear it's a different story. I have been collecting merino wool in lighter weight lately. It can at first be a bit itchy at first but it's so great on the breathability scale, keeps you cool yet warm.

Anonymous

I’m told that when my grandmother was menopausal she would go out in the snow and rip off layers. Maybe some of the new tech fabrics can help. Dear SIL swore by changing cotton sheets and garments often during the day (or night).
Coming out on the other side of menopause, I feel cold most of the time, so keep the best of those sweaters.

shiny

Veteran

Joy, some of the new tech fabrics are good -- I like the ON breathe line in particular. Though that is more sporty wear for exercising. I'm also not sure I'd call that line "cushy" ...

Okay typing "cushy" just now brought to mind a pair of lounge pants and some lounge cardi's I own that are totally cushy but are blends, not necessarily breathable but somehow they do breathe simply because they are loose and baggy allowing air circulation.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

No great solutions but it is a strange feeling to be warm after a life time of always feeling cold. I find cotton the best in the heat.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Joy, I love that story about your grandmother!! I can easily believe it. Imagine slaving over a hot wood stove and being menopausal??

So...this phase (at least the extreme version) was rather short for me, thank heavens.

I do retain the need to kick off covers at night, willy nilly, and prefer light PJs -- never need flannel any more for sleeping and modal or fabrics like that make me crazy. It is cotton for sleep, all the way.

For daytime, layers are the solution. I do still (or is that 'again'?) wear cashmere, now that the worst of the flashes are long gone -- but only in deep winter, not autumn. In autumn it's merino or silk or cotton.

Commiserations. This too shall pass!

Jane

Veteran

I think layers and keeping my neck open to the air. I wear less scarfs now so that I have more air flowing around my face and neck.

If it helps at all, I did manage to keep the flushes at bay for a good 12 months in the early stages through a careful diet - but then life got in the way and I took HRT. So if you have time and energy for it, it may be worth looking into. I recall I ate a lot of scrambled eggs.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I’ve heard good things about Soma’s Cool Nights line of pjs, but haven’t tried them yet.

Jane, do you have a pointer to any resources you used to adapt your diet? (Feel free to PM if this is too off-topic.)

anchie

Veteran

I am not sure should I be looking forward to this, since I feel cold most of the time now, would it be a nice change?

kellygirl

Veteran

I just started noticing the night sweats. I wear cotton pjs and have cotton sheets but I would love to be able to sleep through the night one of these days. Thanks for posting this. There are some good suggestions here.

slim cat

Veteran

@anchie - unfortunately after a while it gets be like this: one moment you are feeling hot ( throw blankets/clothes off ) and in a few minutes you could get chills out of blue.
I used to be cold most of the time - now it's all over place, especially at night.

Anonymous

You might be comfortable in different styles of the fabrics you love? A lot of heat can be released at the neck so turtlenecks in any material might not be your best choice.

Woven fabric in winter weights hold heat more than many knits so maybe crew or bateau neck t shirts and a cashmere cardigan that you can whip off if necessary.

bj1111

Veteran

So many good suggestions. I might try thicker cotton tops like classic bretons in a heavier weight. Maybe slightly heavier weave silk tees.

My sleeping duds are locked down.

What am I going to do with all my cashmere?!?? Moths will be very happy.

Cee

Veteran

If you still want to wear turtlenecks, try the zip up ones skiers wear or a knit button-up version.

Or go to **shudders** cowlnecks !

shiny

Veteran

BJ, I moved from cashmere to merino wool sweaters. Merino is just so much more breathable and thermo regulates. I built up a stable of V necks in all my colors from either Banana Republic (their washable merino) or from Lord & Taylor, and in lighter weight vs medium weight. I would start with the lighter weight.

Right now I'm feeling super comfy in this more casual top - https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod.....#038;psc=1

Wore it out earlier for a brisk walk, kept me warm. Now lounging at home with the fireplace heat turned up high and I'm not sweating.

Jane, I'm giggling about your scrambled eggs. It's like I can't get enough eggs! For diet I didn't find much made a difference except I did seem to need higher protein, but not keto levels. If I cut the carbs too deeply, my insomnia was horrible. I learned it was best to save my carbs for dinner, otherwise I would toss and turn.

Bijou

Veteran

BJ - a great post as I know I am heading into this territory and it frightens me because where I live it is already hot - I cannot imagine how I will handle any hot flashes. I will have to run for the freezer door to cool down.

Jane

Veteran

I am so sorry, I can’t recall what resources I used when I changed my diet - I think I ate more eggs because they are high in protein and I think I cut carbs and sugar. There was a science around what I did and it definitely worked - I was having lots and lots of flashes a day and I got it to almost none.

Fwiw after 4 years of HRT I then stopped (health risks as DS had cancer and made a full recovery). For 6 months I went through flashes again but somehow with mediation and breathing I can manage - or maybe I’m coming through the other side. The unique combination of Covid and work stresses definitely made it worse again for a while.

cindysmith

Veteran

I went through menopause all kinds of backwards. I had the partial hysterectomy in 2008, now I'm dealing with the hormonal crap.

Layers. This saves me at work. I start my commute with lots of layers, but once I'm working the layers wind up in a pile on top of my purse under the counter.

Lighter weight cashmere. I had a cashmere sweater from Vince that felt like air or clouds, so soft and light and fluffy (even though it was NOT a fluffy sweater).

Looser knits. I have a wool sweater from Free People that is very lightweight and loosely knit. It's not loosely knit to the point of being semi-sweet, but it is close. Not so close that I need a layer under it, though.

Between the hot flashes and working in a 40F room for a year and a half, my internal thermostat has been reset with a higher tolerance for cold and a lowered tolerance for heat. I've noticed that keeping my extremities and ears warm generally keeps me feeling warm enough to wear much lighter weight clothes on colder days at work. Sometimes I'll be wandering around in a tank top and gloves + hat or earmuffs. I am certain I look weird and I don't care. I'm embracing my weird LOL

Flytigress

Aside from the fashion challenges, a lot of what I thought I knew about menopause was wrong. The conventional wisdom from my older sisters and girlfriends was flawed. Glamour had a good article online recently. Menopause Taylor is quirky, but a great resource.

https://www.glamour.com/story/.....-menopause

https://www.youtube.com/channe.....UVfTHKbwLg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsQJoyn2vxo

bj1111

Veteran

Ladies, I feel so validated and seen!

Thanks for this great thread.

Helena

Veteran

Don't know for sure, but some of the Uniqlo tech fabrics popped into my mind - I think they are called Airism? Good luck - I'll never forget waking up to shin-sweat shortly after I turned forty ... the first hint of peri ... didn't even know I could sweat from my shins before that hahaha!!

rachylou

Veteran

Thin, loosely woven fuzzy sweaters?

I’m sure I’ve hit this stage. Strangely enough, it’s exactly like crashing blood sugar... which is pretty much a panic attack. Cold and hot at the same time. I’m for thin, light nightgowns and big fluffy comforters that can be thrown off and pulled back up... and a cool compress...

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Sunflowergirl

Member

During nighttime, thin, cotton sleep shirts definitely help me.
Daytime, I wear everything light and thin but dress up in layers. My cardigans also have gone from heavy to light.

Staysfit

Veteran

Cotton and linen sweaters in winter colors, light weight cashmere and merino wool. Layers. Honestly the best in my experience seems to be linen as a base layer with a warmer layer on top. It’s easy to quickly regulate my temperature by removing the warmer layer and the linen is light, breathable and cool.

RobinF

Veteran

I swear by wicking tees for sleeping in - nothing worse than waking up soaking wet! My hot flashes have settled down now to where I rarely get them but I still sleep in wicking tees and very light weight bottoms.

As far as day, I agree that light layers work best for me. I am a cardi girl but find that thinner ones work best for me year round. If I stay a little bit cool then I can ward off hot flashes. Now that the hot flashes aren't as often I can wear thicker sweaters but I think my overall temp has risen a little bit.

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