How To Dress for Winter Like a Norwegian

UPDATED FOR 2026!!

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” This is as close as Norway gets to a national motto, and it was a saying we heard countless times while living in Oslo. It is also very true. Clothing choices can make all the difference, whether you are slogging across the open plains or darting in and out of buildings. What follows is a very Norwegian guide to bundling up this winter! BTW, the coat in the picture (Amundsen's Harvester) is here and it is glorious.

Base Layers- The most critical element.

The material against your skin can make your day hot, cold, or even itchy. Merino wool, the wonder fiber, solves all of these problems. For those who know merino, this is hardly news… but for those who may lump all wool together into one scratchy classification, give merino a chance; it is amazing. Merino carries the classic wool properties of continuing to warm you even when it is wet, while also being anti-microbial (pushing away germs) and anti-fungal (pushing away smells), so unless you spill your gravy on it, you shouldn’t have to wash it very often. This saves water and also reduces wear and tear on the garment. The clincher is that since the merino material has a small diameter, it bends more easily than other wool particles and thus doesn’t itch you.

Since merino has all of these wonderful properties it has taken over the base layer world. We have several options that include the cute Marius (the national pattern of Norway)from Aclima for women top and bottom. We have the Marius version for men too in a quarter zip. Amundsen has produced a fantastic 100% base layer set as well called the Hero's Hide for men (top and bottom) and women (top and bottom). We are slated to get more Hero's Hide later this season.

By far, the most sought after base layer system we carry is the Woolnet by Aclima. The mesh merino design by Aclima amplifies the breathability while allowing insulation to warm you up faster. We are proud to be the exclusive retailer in the US for Aclima and the Woolnet. Check out the women's top and bottom and the men's top and bottom.

Mid Layers- adding warmth.

Building out from the base we turn to mid layers, and add diversity in material and style. The mid layer is meant to be the insulation so they tend to have a lot more substance than the base layer. Norwegians tend to back their base layer up with another layer of wool, whether it is more merino or traditional lamb’s wool.  Merino is usually felted to enhance its insulation and Amundsen produces a few different mid layers using that material. Our favorite, and the sweater that inspired us to start Aktiv, is the Hoodie Laced by Amundsen for men and women. 

In lambswool, the Kaldi (Icelandic for "cold") is a stout wool midlayer for men from 66 North. The Moritz, by Ivanhoe is a fantastic full zip cardigan that polishes up nice by itself or over a button-down. For women, Jumperfabriken from Gothenburg, Sweden, produces some of our favorite wool sweaters including the Veda and the Vendela cardigan.   

Wool is often blended with other materials and our favorite blend is the Full Zip Comfy by multi-gold medalist Bjorn Dæhlie and while designed for Nordic skiing it is a fabulous mid layer and on milder days, a light jacket. We have a couple different colors for men and women!

If wool is not for you, fleece (made from polyester) has a lot of options. For women, the Pull Inspire is soft and cozy while the Hrannar from 66 North is a light quarter-zip that punches above it's weight (literally)! For men, the Vara Alpha Sweater by Haglöfs is supreme while the Tindur is the heaviest fleece in the shop!

Outer Layers- the goal is to block the wind and wet!

When it comes to outer layers, there is great variation, and while you will see some of the super-bulky, heavy winter coats that are favored throughout the upper Midwest of the United States, Norwegians really like to layer for warmth. One reason might be that vast parts of Norway don’t experience the brutal cold seen in portions of the US. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, Norwegian winters tend to hover around freezing, as explained by the Research Council of Norway.  As further proof, when we lived in Oslo during the winter, I would peer at the temps in Denver (where we live) and Grand Forks (where I grew up) and compare with Oslo, usually coming out as the warmest location.

Due to this fact, Norwegians wear a lot of vests (just like Coloradans) and we have a wide array of them for women and men.  A few current favorites are the Coco and Motion vests for women and the Ralf and the Raptor vests for men. 

Puffy jackets are another favorite that bring insulation but with some style. We have great options in down like the Bolt XP and Keilir for men and the Enigma Parka and the Hede Down Coat for women. Synthetic fill is also amazing and our current favorites for that are the JKT Wonder Magic for women and the Dunfri for men.

One of the most frequent requests we get in our shop and online is for the warmest jacket in the shop. This year that award goes to the Jokla Parka from 66 North for men and women. 66 even makes a version with real fur which we can special order. The Jokla is wind-proof, water-proof and heavy. When film crews head to Iceland for work, they wear the Jokla. 
 

Bottoms/Pants!!!

Basically...every one is searching for the perfect pair of pants. We see it in our shops everyday as men and women go directly to the pant section and try out a few different options. Most people are generally seeking a comfortable fit that looks nice while others are seeking a hyper technical pant to beat back the elements. For the first grouping, we love to recommend the Apres cords by Elevenate for men and women. The Apres is a lighter corduroy with a bit of Elastane woven in that allows for stretch and movement while keeping its shape. On the technical side the Gere 3.0 for men and the Pant Exit for women are excellent.  If you are looking to embrace hygge and lounge, the Fleecewool Joggers for women and men are divine. Cozy, but not too cozy...these sweats are 93% merino and can be worn daily without washing, yes, you read that right. 

Since Norway is the size of Montana and clothing philosophies can vary greatly from Tromsø to Kristiansand and all points in between, this will not be a complete representation of Nordic trends, but it definitely hits the high points we experienced throughout the country during our time there. Ha det bra!!!