Layering your clothing with a base layer will help you stay warm when it’s cold outside. Quality layering apparel we love for 2020 include leggings, pullovers, performance pants, and more in an assortment of fabrics from wool to synthetic.
This is the best layering apparel to keep you warm in 2020
| FisheWear Allagash Soft-shell Skirt fishewear.com  This skirt is named for FisheWear owner Linda Leary’s favorite river in Maine. It is stylish, attractive and functional. It features three fleece-lined pockets, a full zipper and is woven, with a fleece lining. Fish Alaska Publisher Melissa Norris loves wearing this skirt paired with FisheWear leggings, earning it a spot among the best layering apparel for 2020. This updated version is nice and short which appeals to our female testers. It’s super warm, easy to wear, and looks great with everything.
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| Coldpruf Women’s Platinum Crew coldpruf.com  They are attractive, warm, soft and very comfortable. These base layer tops and bottoms kept our tester warm and happy to have them on. They are quality gear and a real must have when layering apparel in Alaska.
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| ExOfficio Women’s Wimico Hoody exofficio.com  The layering apparel shirt is light, like a butterfly wing, and attractive enough to wear camping, fishing or out to lunch. The snaps are well designed. Our tester appreciated the side pockets and the seemingly non-wrinkling fabric.
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| Salmon Sisters Heart Fish Quarter Zip aksalmonsisters.com  This garment is slimming and very soft. It has thumb holes that are functional and appreciated. The shirt is well-designed with great stitching and a comfortable neck zipper. This is a suitable shirt for layering apparel, if desired. The fish print design is adorable.
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| ExOfficio Women’s Hyalite Hoody exofficio.com  This hoody provided sun protection for our tester, and the lightweight, quick-drying, moisture-wicking polyester material is comfortable and functional when layering apparel. Design features include a wrap-over design at the neck which enhances air flow and sun protection, thumb loops and a hood. The garment is available in five sizes and five colors and makes a great first layer.
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| Columbia Women’s Anytime Casual Skort columbia.com  This garment is designed for active women, and combines Columbia’s UPF 50-rated fabric with their Omni-Shield water repellency. This skort, available in many colors and four sizes, is the perfect throw on after fishing when you wader-off and find yourself in second-skin style leggings.
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| Peak Warmer Base Layer peakbaselayer.com  This base layer incorporates odor-reducing and heat-distributing tech to keep you at optimal performance while reducing your stink. We’ve come a long way from the original thermal underwear. As for layering apparel, the Warmer layer works as a base layer when it’s cold and a single layer on high-activity days when it’s cool out. The four-way stretch fabric is comfortable and breathable, and thumbholes in the sleeves are useful.
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| Patagonia Women’s Tech Fishing Skort patagonia.com  Made from fast-drying fabric, this item combines shorts and a skirt into a hybrid garment made for warm-water wading and also works great for over your leggings when your breathable waders come off.. The lightweight polyester/spandex blend is treated with a DWR finish, and the skort sports four pockets—two in front and two in the waistband. Our tester reported that she liked the length of the skort and the stretchy fabric.
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| Simms Fishing Products Katafront Hoody simmsfishing.com  Our tester really enjoyed this comfortable fishing hoody. It is warm and stretchy enough for great range of motion. This hoody incorporates water-shedding forearms and works great for layering apparel when adding a waterproof shell. It includes roomy pockets inside, a zippered chest pocket and a well-designed adjustable hood. The Hex Camo Carbon pattern is tight.
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| Carhartt Force Utility Knit Legging carhartt.com  The leggings are built tough, made for work and designed for comfort. They feature sweat-wicking, odor-fighting, stretchy fabric as well as reinforced knees and abrasion-resistant pockets. The garment fits close to the body and the straight waistband helps reduce the gap in the back. Leggings are available in three color options and many sizes, including tall and plus sizes. The fabric is durable in that Carhartt way.
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| Sierra Designs Women’s Whitney Hoodie sierradesigns.com  This hoodie is packed with 800-fill DriDown, which kept our tester dry and cozy in cold weather in 2019. It is equipped with several pockets, elastic cuffs, oversized hood, and stows into a zippered pocket. It’s available in four colors and five sizes.
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| AFTCO Women’s Electra Leggings aftco.com  Leggings are layering apparel must-haves. These leggings are comfortable and breathe well, thanks to the 4-way stretch of the AFLEX fabric and the breathable mesh panels built into the sides of the leggings, as well as behind the knees. The item also features an integrated pliers pocket, anti-microbial treatment, and AFGUARD stain resistance.
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| Duluth Trading Co. Men’s Black Hills Windfront Hooded Jacket duluthtrading.com  This softshell-like jacket became an instant favorite last fall during a rainy spell, and we appreciated the lack of bulk when going about our tasks. The zip-off hood is a nice feature and we love the nylon/spandex 4-way flexing fabric which keeps you comfortable and doesn’t restrict range of motion. |