I suppose I should mention that I wore a lot of hand-me-down clothing growing up. (It wasn’t that I didn’t love worn-in clothing, I just didn’t like that someone else wore it in). My aunt would come over with winter pieces my cousins had grown out of and I would inevitably get stuck with the chunky wool sweaters.
Here’s the thing – I used to have a love-hate relationship with wool. It was itchy. It was binding. And it smelled an awful lot like my Uncle Leroy. For the next many years, I would avoid wool like the Black Plague. I loved taking risks with my wardrobe, but wool was just too risky. That is, until I discovered Merino wool and my world was turned on its side.
First things first, Merino isn’t your grandmother’s wool. Merino wool doesn’t constrict you, but naturally moves with you. Because it’s sourced from Australian Merino sheep, which grow the finest sheep’s wool on earth, Merino wool is equal parts soft, malleable, and breathable. (The finer the fiber, the softer the garment is going to be and Merino is about as fine as they come.)
In the last fifteen years, manufacturers (like the spinners, knitters and weavers) have made great strides in wool innovation. The next-to-skin products using Merino wool are made with extra fine fibers, spun into very fine yarns making Merino wool garments that are not only extremely soft, but also practical in use. Unlike synthetic fabrics, which have to be chemically treated to absorb moisture, Merino wool can naturally regulate your body temperature by absorbing the moisture vapor between your skin and the fabric, so gone are the days of thick wintry sweaters causing, well, a sweat.
And, most importantly, Merino wool is natural and biodegradable. To raise the Merino sheep, you just need sunshine, rain, and a lot of really good grass. It’s that simple. When you wear Merino wool, you can rest assured you’re narrowing your carbon footprint by being an eco-conscious (but still very stylish) shopper.
I’m so thrilled to show off just how functional Merino wool is as part of my partnership with The Woolmark Company – the marketing, research and development institute of the Australian wool industry. It truly is fashion that moves you, so whether you’re looking to dance, walk, run, decompress, or just plain “be”, you can do it all in Merino wool.
If you’d like to find out more about the wonders of Merino wool, click here. Or take a look at all the amazing brands that use Merino wool in their collections, you’ll certainly see a lot familiar faces.
Look 1: Kitsbow Tee in Red | Kitsbow Denim
Look 2: Nick Wooster x The White Briefs Tee | QOR Running Pants in Black
Look 3: Nike Henley in Blue | Nick Wooster x The White Briefs Raglan Sweater | QOR Trousers in Grey
Look 4: Kitsbow Button-Down Shirt in Plaid | QOR Half-Zip Shirt in Black | QOR Trousers in Black
Look 5: QOR Full-Zip Hoodie in Blue | QOR Trousers in Black
Image Source: Merino sheep image courtesy of The Woolmark Company