Merino Puns

Any weight or colour! What’s your favourite super-soft merino or merino blend yarn for wearing next to the skin?

This is such a popular fibre in the community and with manufacturers that I thought a little Reddit thread directory of its softest and most skin-soft sweater-suitable variations would be useful.

https://www.nordstromrack.com/s/smartwool-mintrak-half-zip-wool-pullover-sweater/6456284

Free shipping at $89 or ship to store.

Here's more info on the product from Moosejaw:

https://www.moosejaw.com/product/smartwool-men-s-intraknit-merino-250-thermal-1-4-zip_10445660

EDIT:

Also noticed this Icebreaker Merino blend jacket at $60:

https://www.nordstromrack.com/s/icebreaker-fleece-hybrid-cardigan-coach-jacket/6473244

Manufacturer page:

https://www.icebreaker.com/en-us/realfleece-merino-hybrid-cardigan-/105407220S.html

A little help please: I’m looking for excellent merino wool shirts (long and short sleeve). I’m 6’ 2” have broad shoulders and a long torso. So far I’ve tried Seadon. Excellent shirts—but I found them to be a little short-waisted for me.

New to backpacking and looking at clothing to include in my pack for summer multi day trips. I understand the hype over merino but aside from the smell (or lack of) when wet and the lack of a chilling effect, are there cheaper options that work just as well? Any advice/ experience would be greatly appreciated!!!

I’ve tried almost every major company that sells merino garments spoken about in this sub. Without fail, I get that itchy feeling when the garment rubs against my skin. The only times I can get away with merino is if it’s a pair of socks, or a blend, where it may be only 50% merino or so, and some other fabric.

Is anyone else in this boat? I’m thinking I may need to retire the 100% merino search attempt.

On a side note, how does cashmere compare to merino in terms of the properties that make merino popular? In the past I haven’t gotten itchy from cashmere, but wonder if it still has the benefits of a merino garment.

Hi there, I have sweaters that were fine hand-washing and others that were not. I am specifically asking for the Nasim Sweater. Has anyone washed it yet? I was also wondering if there were any tips on spotting shrunken items. I tend to sometimes buy second-hand items that are no longer available. Some shrunken sweaters are obvious but some aren’t.

Thank you

Sportweight Merino Cut One T-Shirt

Extra dry performance merino. Top-capped 16.5 micron merino intimately blended with equal parts recycled polyester to create a near perfect t-shirt for high exertion, sweaty, rough-and-tumble use. Cut One is our classic cut, straight and long. Pick up three for $265.

Now available in Black, Dust Olive and Gray Light

A little over seven years ago, in late 2014, Outlier released a couple of experiments that were both coveted and notorious. These pieces marked a significant moment in Outlier history, pushed the envelope of what kind of fabrics the company could produce, and generated a ton of conversation along the way: Airspace Transparent Pullover and Airspace +Merino Pullover.

These pieces are both openly-knit, breathable mesh layers, the difference between them being that the +Merino version, in addition to the 70 gsm polyester mesh, has a 135 gsm merino mesh lining on the inside.

These both seem like they’d be a blast to layer with, both functionally and visually, in performance and casual settings. These were well before my time, but I had a lot of fun dusting off the old subreddit encyclopedia.

There is a ton of feedback on these, scattered around different posts and comments over the years, so here’s an abridged collection featuring some highlights:

#Airspace Transparent Pullover:

###Develoment Backround from u/konrat:

> I’ve been using the Transparent almost everyday since I’ve gotten it and I love it. The idea was born from the exact use you’re looking for. We were sick of how cold weather athletic gear gets real stuffy real quick, leaving us sweaty and ready to be blasted with a chill at a red light or during a break. The idea of a full mesh athletic outerwear piece worked in our minds and we were really excited when we saw that it truly worked in practice. Honestly, the sensation is almost jarring at first, but you get used to being comfortable pretty quickly.

> I was wearing it mostly because I think it looks super cool, but then I started to realize just how useful it is as an everyday layering pi

I ask as I was under the impression that it's useful because you can carry less items and use them a bit more. Also isn't merino wool by definition more delicate, meaning it should be washed relatively less to extend it's lifespan? Typical usecase would be using a 150-200 gsm merino wool shirt as a baselayer in winter under a sweater. Or wearing wool & prince's button down for a dinner. Or wearing a 150 gsm polo blend 3-4 times in summer to the office. I had thought generally you can get 3-4 wears from merino wool garments. Assumption here is that one is showering, etc. Just bought some undershirts from W&P so I'm now nervous that I'm throwing away my money.

Looking at some old threads, lots of warning to the effect that "no actually clothes stink after one wear" or others advocating to "shower in your clothes" while traveling, etc....which then would obviously put synthetic/poly as much better than merino in anything above 70F in that case, if one is never supposed to sweat in merino. Because then not seeing any benefits beyond cotton or even polyester if they need still be washed daily. The quick drying doesn't matter for overnight.

Should merino come with a disclaimer that it's really a 3-season fabric for clothes and a no-go for summer? Or is it that they're ok for stuff other than working out?

Last question, that's actually a serious question: What's the story behind Wool & Prince's legendary and ongoing 100 days-in-row campaign?

Reference these threads:

How long are you going in between washes?

How many days in a row do you typically wear...

etc.

I actually don't have the luxury to choose merino t-shirts here in Turkey, (afaik) but it occurred to me that I'm spending so little on H&M tees. (They're 69 lira, so ~$5) They are thin, dry fast, and I haven't noticed any smell after wearing them for 3-4 days. And of course being cotton, they don't itch. Is the premium wool material actually worth it?

Edit: Apparently everyone's favorite Wool&Prince tees are $74 each, so this skews the value comparison even more in my argument's favor

Hard/Co Merino Hoodie

Emotional armor in the form of a heavyweight zip hoodie. High density cotton on the outside for serious structure and form. Soft merino terry on the inside for all the warmth and natural performance merino brings.

Now available in Black, Dark Forest and Charcoal

This isn't directly related to outlier but a topic the community may be interested in

My understanding is that the mercerization process removes the scales from merino fibers resulting in a smoother feel, more lustre, and easier drape.

What effect does the removal of the scales have on the performance properties of the wool-- warmth, moisture wicking, water resistance, hygroscopic ability?

Mercerized merino also makes the garment machine washable. Does outlier use mercerized merino?

Hey friends,

I hate the super duper clingy merino shirts. Are there any good shirts that are merino/great for hiking in that fit a little bagg/roomy?

Thanks!

Currently, I have 2 pieces from Aritzia that are made of 100% merino wool: Ganna Jacket in heather bone and Guell Sweater in heather oat beige. I wore each of these once (not at the same time) and I noticed lots of little fluff balls here and there after a few hours. I also noticed that whenever I wear one of these pieces, my nose itches or I sneeze frequently (I’m sensitive to dust).

Does anyone else have this problem with their merino wool or is it just me? If there are any solutions, please let me know. It would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all,

I unfortunately put my merino wool sweater in the dryer and it shrunk, I really loved this sweater and should have been more careful but if anyone has any suggestions on how to unshrink it I would greatly appreciate it!!! It was the Canberra Cardigan

I work outdoors the whole winter and i have recently started thinking about buying merino base layers. I need something to protect me from cold because i feel very ill during the winter. I can take on like 3 layers of cotton t shirts,sweater and a jacket and i could feel cold. How good is merino in that case, what can you advise me as a beginner?