>>2835136
The closer and more form fitting the insulation is to your body, the better it will work. This is because it has less overall surface and because it won't have warm air pushed out and through it by movement. So yes, insulating base layers work well, but they're obviously not magic. If you want to improve warmth with a baselayer, i suggest a warm, very flexible one, for example knit terrycloth.
>I don't think a shell jacket + fleece + a basic bitch poly/wool layer1 would be enough for this would it
Not for -15°C - not if you're static (like you're a citycuck waiting for a bus or something). At that temperature, you're best off with a padded jacket.
>am I overthinking how much difference a base layer compared to cotton will make?
Probably. Wool is warmer than cotton, assuming similar structures, but not by much. Where the effect becomes most pronounced is when it gets wet.
>should I just buy an insulated jacket and call it a day or should I layermaxx?
It's not an either or. A light to medium insulated jacket is a great last insulation layer. Wear base-fleece-padded-shell when it's very cold, or mix and match when it's less cold. Very flexible.
Well, this is for /out/. Citycuckery has additional requirements
-you want to wear something presentable, which is likely not a merino baselayer and likely also not a fleece (also, that may become too warm). Consider your civilian indoor clothing and add warmth from there, not from a base layer. Especially since you cannot easily put your base layer on and off in the city.
-You may not want to put several jackets on and off. That's why the normalfag only wears indoor clothing+jacket and has several jackets for different levels of cold. I guess this comes back to your last question - but that's a matter of personal preference only you can answer. For out, the answer is always layering.
