Here’s the thing: Are these itchy? Yeah, most people find them itchy but these are the ultimate super heavyweight long johns and I personally wear them over bare skin as does my friend, Chris, who is a survival instructor in the Northeast. I’ve tried out a bunch of heavyweight union suits and this is by far the warmest.
If you’ve got delicate princess skin like my partner you can pair them over lighter weight “underoos” of your favorite brand. (Or our Stanfields superwash wool separates also listed). The combination of superwash wool/heavyweight wool gives you the maximum protection from the cold without impairing or interfering with movement under whatever you wear for your outside adventures. This combo is the ultimate for extreme weather hunting or calving season when your best cows inevitably pick the worst weather of the whole year.
These heavyweight union suits have military-insert shoulders so there’s no seam on the very top of your shoulder. This is so that the straps of a backpack or shoulder bag won’t cut into you. The cuffs on the arms and legs are stretch-knit so that they don’t creep. The buttons on the front are closely placed (about 3 inches apart depending on the size of the garment) so that they don’t gap. The seams are flat-locked to reduce chafing under clothes and wear better. This is a really nicely designed suit. The knit fabric is 80% wool 20% nylon, this gives the suit some stretch and a lot of durability for repeated washings.
You may be interested to know that the pictures are actually of my own fourteen-year-old union suit. That’s how well these suits wear. I didn’t want to open a package simply to photograph a new one – and they’re so durable that it wasn’t necessary.
The advantages of wool over synthetics are many but the most noticeable is the wicking. Unless you lost some weird bet and are simply outdoors in dozens-below-zero weather for no other reason you are probably doing something and that something is probably making you sweat. When you sweat in synthetics your prey or the townies can smell you coming a mile away.
Of course, anyone who is reading this does not need to be convinced of the superiority of wool over synthetics. Things you probably want to know? The trapdoor on this union suit lines up perfectly with the trapdoor on Stanfields superwash union suits. These heavyweight union suits are machine washable (follow the directions on the tag!) Some people find that the itchiness decreases after a couple of washes.
We don’t sell many of these because they’re not necessary for most people’s outdoor activities. If you are a real outdoorsman/woman you know your needs. Because this is a knit weave there is some give and stretch. Ladies, the design of these union suits has not changed since the Gold Rush era and they’ve never been customized for the female body so know your dimensions before choosing a size.
Here is a note from Stanfield's regarding fit
Please note: This garment has a high rate of shrinkage due to
the nature of the fibres. This has been factored into the garments'
sizing, so please buy your normal size and if you follow the washing instructions it will shrink to fit.
| Top Size |
Bottom Size |
| S (34-36 in.) - (86-91 cm.) |
S (30-32 in.) - (76-81 cm.) |
| M (38-40 in.) - (97-102 cm.) |
M (34-36 in.) - (86-91 cm.) |
| L (42-44 in.) - (107-112 cm.) |
L (38-40 in.) - (97-102 cm.) |
| XL (46-48 in.) - (117-122 cm.) |
XL (42-44 in.) - (107-112 cm.) |
| 2XL (50-52 in.) - (127-132 cm.) |
2XL (46-48 in.) - (117-122 cm.) |