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Clothing choices and Winter

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Knoll:
We are in St Louis area. While temperature is bit milder than our days in the upper midwest, we regularly have near-freezing and some sub-freezing weather.
I've not come up with satisfying clothing choices for the torso that keep me comfortable AND minimizes bulk on arms to avoid strikes by bowstring.
Have you folks experienced same challenges? What have been solutions you've adopted?

PEARL DRUMS:
I wear a tight fit UA mock turtle neck and a 25 year old wool sweater that also fits snug. Then I toss my Asbell pull over on over that and Im good into single digits. The Mackinaw version of their pull overs is very nice. That extra layer over the shoulders and chest really help. I don't wear an arm guard and the string doesn't hit me.

Pappy:
The key for me is several thin layers, starting with silk long Jons  [military] then some thin layer's of wool either sweater/shirt or jons and something toward the last layer that will block the wind, I want each layer to fit nice [ not tight to cut off circulation] Sometimes when it gets really cold which it does here from time to time, single digit and below I will have as many as 5 or 6 layers on. I do wear an arm guard just in case but never fill bulky, and a good hate is a must.  ;) The last layer must have pockets and that is where I keep my hands warm. For my feet I am lucky and don't have a real problem, if it is really cold, like single digit or below I wear a couple of pairs of army wool socks and my Muck boots, just need to be sure they fit fairly loose, again nothing to slow circulation. I never use hand warmers but that is a pretty good option for some I know. I love the cold weather.  ;)
 Pappy

JW_Halverson:
Dressing for cold weather starts early in the season, far as I am concerned. 

1) don't turn the heat on in the house until you are desperately cold
2) get as much time working and goofing around outside wearing just jeans and a tshirt until you are forced to wear a bit more, and then try to wear as little as possible.  Excercising in cold weather acclimates your body to the cold, but also improves the efficiency of the body that is burning the calories.
3) keep sucking it up buttercup, because the human body WILL acclimate wonderfully to cold if your brain will just quit whining!
4) Do not focus on the conditions, focus on the situation.  Know how you forget the cold when a twig snaps in the forest and every hair on your body leaps to attention? Yeah, focus on the thrill of being out there doing it!  Get excited, be utterly in the moment, "cast your net" of consciousness around yourself seeking to hear every bird, squirrel, or leaf falling through the air.  Breathe in every scent, notice every color, revel in the texture of the treebark or soil....You paid for the ride, enjoy every bit of it. 
5) When sitting still and you begin to feel cold, stop tensing up! Relax the muscles to get blood flow, especially your belly and back.  Tensing your core decreases blood flow and contributes to increased heat loss.
6) you CAN stand to be cold. You CAN stand to be wet.  You CANNOT stand to be wet and cold, so don't be stupid as you are trying to acclimate.

Some people also swear by isometric muscle exercise to keep the blood flowing, try those too.  Clothing is only insulation, it does not create heat (unless you buy the expensive electric heater and battery pack clothing), it comes from within.

All this comes from a guy that whines like a crybaby over any temps over 75 degrees!!!

Knoll:
That's a bunch of cool viewpoints, JW.

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