The wonders of wool

Wool is no longer an itchy nightmare

Back in the old days, I had a few wool sweaters, but they were scratchy, and I always had to wear something underneath them. But it was a necessary evil, since I lived in cold weather. When I was SUPER lucky, I'd find cashmere at a good price (Macy's Black Friday sales for the win there!), and that was so soft and warm... but in Atlanta, I don't wear cashmere that often since it's too warm for it most of the time.

In 2023, my husband and I finally took an Alaskan cruise that we'd originally planned to take in 2020. I did some research on weather in late August, and found out that the weather could be really warm or really cold at any given point, especially since we were leaving from Vancouver and going north, then taking a land tour. I wound up buying some SmartWool merino blend base layers for my husband and me on Sierra because I had read that merino wool could keep you cool or warm you up, and also that it wasn't itchy and didn't need to be washed after every wear. This was ideal, because I absolutely hate doing laundry when I'm on vacation. I was skeptical about the non-itchy part, but that was true also! The day we departed Vancouver, it was really warm (80° F / 27° C) but we wanted to take a hike before we left. I put on my merino top to test it out, and wow! Totally worked as advertised. And as things cooled down it worked well too! I also bought an alpaca hoodie from PAKA, and that was really cozy and warm during the cold days in Alaska. 

Wool can be stylish and worn year-round, even in warm climates!

When I returned home, my obsession with wool took off. At first I stuck to dresses and leggings, but then I branched out. I discovered wool& and Woolx (wool& doesn't do referrals, but my link to Woolx will give you and me both a $20 coupon). There are actually huge Facebook groups devoted to each of those brands (more than one, actually) and even a thriving secondhand sales market for merino wool items! Wool is not cheap, but it can last a long time if you take good care of it, and it can be worn multiple times before washing, so it's ideal for travel. If you're new to wool, I would recommend trying one item and either purchasing it from a vendor that has free shipping and free returns, or buying it in-person so you can try it on and make sure it is the right fabric for you. I have very sensitive skin and I'm fine with merino wool and cashmere, but some people are sensitive even to the finest wool. 

wool& is based in Portland, OR, and has a European website as well as a US one, with a sometimes differing selection of items. They very rarely discount items but they do have a mystery sale periodically (you choose a category and they send you a random item within that category), and if you wear the same (non-mystery) dress for 100 days in a row they give you a $100 or €100 gift card (once in a lifetime). They also have a 30-day challenge for a $30 gift card - that one can be done annually. They also do periodic fun challenges like the December leggings challenge that is on now. (I have not yet done a challenge, but they are very popular!) Their men's site, Wool & Prince, has a similar 100-day challenge, and the sites have started to cross-sell a bit so you can do all your family's shopping at once. 

Woolx is based in upstate New York, and has a dizzying array of sales/promotions, and a rewards program for both referrals and purchases - my recommendation with them is to "stalk" what you want and scoop it up when you know it's a really good price. Pro tip for Woolx is that if you are using a promo/coupon code, you can't redeem rewards at the same time. But they periodically have big sales that don't require a code, so you always have an opportunity to redeem your rewards and still get a good deal!

wool& has a larger selection of dresses, and Woolx has more of a selection of most other things, as well as some leggings and pants in petite, which I appreciate! Over the last couple of years, I have scooped up a bunch of dresses, tunics, base layers, shorts, leggings, nightgowns, and even underwear! I discovered that you can be extremely comfortable and look good while doing it with a minimum level of effort. 

In addition to my many wool& and Woolx purchases, I have also bought some other brands (Icebreaker, SmartWool, Woolly, Ridge Merino, Merino Tech, and even Duluth Trading Co., Bombas, and Allbirds have some merino items... Allbirds even has merino shoes). Merino has gone mainstream! I have noticed that most wool brands have a limited selection and regularly sell out of things. Because good merino wool is imported, prices have gone up lately, so be patient and wait for a good deal!

Beware: all "merino" is not the same

When buying merino (or alpaca), check the fabric content of the garment you're considering. Some sites (especially discount sites like Sierra or BackCountry) will list things as "merino" even if there is a very small percentage of merino wool. I noticed some items on PAKA's site had a low alpaca content, too. Aim for at least 50% (most of mine are much higher - though I do have one wool& dress I adore that is 49% because the other main fabric is TENCEL™ which is great in the summer). Most of the wool items I have can be washed in the washing machine.... and some can even go in the dryer (on low heat, of course)! Most wool can be washed with regular detergent, but I baby mine with Woolite and an occasional wash in Outback Gold. 

Wool dryer balls are a thing! I highly recommend them!

Did you know that there was such a thing as wool dryer balls? I learned this through the woolie groups on Facebook. Since it's not recommended to use fabric softener or dryer sheets with wool, I had just been laundering my wool without, and the stuff I put through the dryer sometimes had static cling. I discovered wool dryer balls (I got mine from Amazon but I have since seen them in local shops) and they are amazing! I only use 2 at a time (and am still using the first 2) and they work wonderfully well! I recommended them to a friend of mine a few weeks ago, and she started using 3 of them for all of her loads instead of fabric softener, and she hasn't noticed a difference in softness - even with her towels! Once I've gone through my considerable stock of Bounce I'll need to try wool dryer balls with all of my loads.