3. Wear Guide | In The Wool Times [liftout]
Why the woolly things are worth it [bumper liftout issue!] | Wool 101.
You’re here for an unexpected first — a Boundless Bypass Guide. This guide simply became too long for this week’s standard epistle and now it’s a standalone liftout edition. I always loved that as a magazine reader and it felt like the right editorial decision when I figured it out.
I’m not sure what’s next with this type of liftout guide though I’d love to hear from you if there’s anything else that warrants covering. Right now I’m thinking: packing for long-term travel, finding your perfume style, and designing a long-term slow travel itinerary. I’d be so touched to hear from you about what you’d like to see! -Aoife
This epistle is a manual to sheep wool above all because I think it can be maligned, misunderstood, and even just straight-up missed as a fabric tour de force.
This — and the fact that almost every day you’ll find me donning some variation of wool items (yes, even in summer) — is why this week’s epistle is a dedicated and practical 101 on Wearing Wool.
What makes [sheep] wool worthy?
It’s safe to say that wool frequently doesn’t get the best rap. Whether it’s missing the fact that it keeps you properly warm or the number-one complaint that it’s itchy — wool in all its forms cops some negativity.
My guiding goal here is to change your mind and help you find pieces you’ll love wearing. I’ll go one step further and make a bold claim right here that I think wool garments are a secret weapon for function, feeling chic, and fortifying your wardrobe essentials no matter your lifestyle.
In this Ode to Wool, we’ll explore:
Approaching buying wool garments and why buy wool — including why I chose wool for 50% of my travel wardrobe while spending two years on the road.
Understanding wool fabrics because there are a lot of them (this 101 is solely covering sheep wool).
Caring for your wool so it becomes a living, well-loved heirloom.
Editor’s note: this issue is one I’m passionate about though I understand that every industry may have its ethical problems. In this case, I want to encourage being open-eyed about this in relation to wool and specifically merino wool is a separate topic for another time. At this point I don’t have the expertise or experience to publish on it here. Nevertheless, my emphasis on buying is always on fewer, better things and, as much as possible, secondhand purchasing plus purchasing with the outlook of careful upkeep, repair, and recycling. Thanks a million.
Truth be told, as someone with very curly and often fuzzy hair, I’ve frequently felt like I myself am a sheep. Ridiculous but true. I am the sheep, the sheep is me.
But seriously, how can a person have so much love for wool?
When I take an honest look back, I can’t remember a time in my life without wool.
Call it nostalgia but in truth, wool is present in the seams of so many memories. From Aran sweaters with the faint smell of báinín and wearing them as children prowling around the yard or how my Dad grew up on a sheep farm (I remember finding my Grandma’s cookbook with recipes for “a hundred” to sustain the shearers), through to flashing back to the sheep we had as pets in the brief time we lived on a farm (mine was called Flower because of course). I still love sheep so much and frankly, I adore wearing wool. I even sent the illustration below to my parents yesterday because of how much we love sheep and sheep puns*.
So let me doff my felt cap and share with you why wool is:
My go-to for style (seriously) (no, seriously)
An essential fabric for travel (even in tropical and humid climates)
A staple for a more organised, practical, and effortless wardrobe
To begin, I need to stress that by and large — excluding accessible retailers like Uniqlo — wool is an investment. But the returns on buying wool are extensive. I would even argue that they’re qualitative and quantitative. The savings on true wool garments add up in terms of how they simplify certain areas and improve others; sometimes wool garments simplify and improve the same areas. Another reason why it’s worth it.
Let’s talk about the four main reasons why wool is an investment:
Firstly, wool is a raw material that’s sourced through shearing wool sheep (different to other types of sheep that are raised for other uses). Therefore its price is generally reflected in the value of the material. I’d compare this to other high-quality fabrics such as silk, cashmere (a goat wool), and leather to understand the price point.
Secondly, ethical, high-quality wool is also going to be more expensive. The wool might come from small-batch sheep farmers and they may use more humane techniques to care for their sheep. This will be applied to the price because loving labour costs more. Quality of effort tends to cost more in the long run. The outcome is more sustainable, better for the sheep, and hopefully better for all stakeholders including workers.
Thirdly, garments that are pure wool will be more expensive again though certain types of wool are a higher cost again than others (alpaca wool is on the luxury end of the scale). I will talk more about this when we talk about brands in a special bonus issue in a couple of days.
Fourthly, consider where the garments are being made and the skills behind the work. There are knitting styles that are highly intricate work and that will still be made by hand. Equally the maker may have designed their own knitting pattern or it may be a custom or limited-run piece. Comparatively, you may be able to find pure wool garments that are a lower price though these may be factory made and, depending on your discretionary needs and preferences, you will need to consider if the maker is likely to be receiving a living wage. There is no judgement here on how you approach this, my goal is just to illuminate how this factors into the final ticket price.
The main thing you can look for when you’re setting out to buy wool garments is the Woolmark. This is a fabric trademark that was launched in 1964 and it looks like a stylised yarn ball. Though brands and makers must apply to use the logo on their garment labels, this symbol indicates that the material is 100% new wool. I usually see the Woolmark on vintage wool sweaters though it definitely shows up on modern woolly pieces, too. You should also check what the garment materials are on the tag as this gives an idea of what you’re getting (some brands advertise a garment as wool when it’s less than 50% of the overall material).
So, we’ve talked a bit about the investment of wool.
Next, we’ll talk about what to expect when wearing wool:
My emphatic outlook and experience is that we need to understand that wool is a style and performance fabric. It’s cosiness without compromise.
When you buy wool garments, it’s neither entirely utilitarian nor is it something that should be purchased and forgotten. Wool garments are made to be worn and the point of enjoying the fabric is to accurately understand what wool is. It’s time to debunk and understand wool better.
The primary qualities of wool that should win all of us over is that it’s:
Moisture-wicking — ideal for all parts of life, you name it, it’s fun and according to NYT, powerhouse merino brand Icebreaker has sex-appeal.
Odour-resistant — when aired properly, pieces can be reworn without the downsides of other materials (even natural fibres like linen and cotton).
Natural stretch — wool is flexible without losing its shape — up to 40% in the natural wool though this is about 5% when garments are wet.
Resilient — bendable when working out, hiking and in the outdoors, suitable for manual work, and wearing every single day.
Range of fit options — can wear super-fitted thermals, sleek turtlenecks and bodysuits, comfortable underwear, and cosy oversized sweaters.
Repairable — small holes can be darned easily and bigger holes can be patched.
Recyclable — certain wool garments can be unravelled to reuse the yarn.
Further to this, I’m writing this to make the case that wool is going to be the MVP of your travel wardrobe. And — inevitably — it can even be the foundation of your entire wardrobe. The reason I’m writing this is because after two years on the road, I’m adjusting to having a base again and one of the number one things I’m excited to get back out of storage** is my full range of wool clothes. Keep in mind that this anticipation is even with 50% of my travel wardrobe having been merino garments.
Wool is my go-to for every day and nearly every setting for four main reasons:
It won’t stretch out — so I can maintain a fitted look that still flexes comfortably with my movements, for layering, and if I’ve had a particularly delicious meal.
It doesn’t fade — colours stay strong in garments so even if you’re wearing things regularly, they’re still a polished look.
It’s multi-purpose — I can wear the same base layer camisole for hiking, working out, under a linen shirt, and for a festival. Then it dries in around 30 minutes after washing on cold.
It’s light — wool, especially merino, won’t add weight to your travel bag and it rolls easily. In many cases merino garments are lighter than their cotton equivalent (though, full disclosure, not as light as synthetic activewear equivalents) and they’ll still insulate you properly.
My bonus reason is that wool is the only fabric I’ve found that I can wear across climates that performs, dries relatively quickly, and is odor-resistant, stylish, and functional.
Wool simplified my travel essentials so that I could enjoy where I was without worrying about having the right things. I also wore every single item multiple times and with multiple outfits. That means value in the re-wear, the practical kit gains, and in the fact that the same clothes are still completely wearable — they’re gently worn at most. In fact, I’m cosied up in a pair of two-year-old Smartwool socks right now (don’t worry, I’ve washed them countless times and they’re still such a pleasure to wear).
So now we can dive into wool fabrics. For the sake of some brevity, we’re covering the main types of wool that you’d see used for garments — sweaters, thermals and mid-layers, underwear and base layers, coats and outerwear, and accessories. Other, more extensive types of heavy-duty wool are used to make military uniforms, quilts and upholstery, and outdoor rugs.
Main types of wool for garments
Lambswool — won’t wrinkle as much, more expensive because each lamb is only shorn once to produce this wool.
Felt — typically used for hats and heavy-duty accessories like some shoes (uggs, etc.).
Boiled wool — often used for coats and sometimes sweaters (a heavy-duty garment wool).
Super wool — superfine wool that’s predominantly used for blazers and suiting.
Organic wool — produced without chemicals and more eco-conscious such as for children’s clothes.
Melton wool — typically used for outerwear as it’s exceptionally durable.
Wool jersey — a knitted wool that’s stretchy and suitable for t-shirts and dresses.
Bouclé wool — more textured and looped so it’s used for detailed finishes like coats and scarves.
Chenille wool — really soft so it’s suitable for cosy knits.
Lincoln wool — extra heavy for withstanding rugged outerwear use.
Loden wool — very dense and often used in outerwear for Alpine-wear.
Shelton — Shetland sheep wool is from Scotland and is the dream trifecta of light weight, softness, and durability.
Merino — the most popular for wool garments and largely produced in Australia. It’s functional, light, and naturally helps regulate body temperature.
A disclaimer that I predominantly wear pure merino wool garments with a few exceptions for merino blends, secondhand lambswool and boiled wool sweaters, and some chunky wool blend essentials. I’ll talk about that in my bonus wool essentials guide in a few days.
Understanding the weight of wool
Ahead of talking about care, you might be wondering about the weights of the wool. This is what’s known as yarn weight with classifications varying by country to show the ply in the actual wool. According to Knitting Naturally, “Most weights of wool or yarn have a standard tension and any patterns designed for a particular weight will use the standard tension for that weight.” The actual weight when shopping will be communicated as GSM — this is grams per square metre.
For merino, you’ll typically see three GSM weights that help understand weight, density, and warmth expectation. These can vary by roughly 5-10gsm within the weight brackets:
Light — 150-190 gsm — good for true base layers or wearing in hot weather.
Medium — 190gsm - 220gsm — good for mid-to-base layers, depending on the weather.
Heavy — 230gsm - 320gsm — good for mid-to-outer layers though in cold conditions you still need rain shells or coats.
In particular, and in my experience, it’s something you mainly see when you’re shopping for thermal base layers and technical wool garments as these are frequently merino. I have sometimes seen it when I’ve been shopping for sweaters though I’ve generally ignored it because it hasn’t factored into the purchase. Comparatively, wool weights are important for base layers as this affects your base layer warmth and if you’re trying to limit weight, it will add grams to your backpack or suitcase — you can actually measure the garment weight specification when planning purchases.
Unlike some easy-wash fabrics — thinking of Patagonia’s Capilene — wool does require a bit of project management. Before you close the issue and dismiss everything I’ve said, I’ll break it down for you and explain how to manage things. It’s not a futile exercise, I promise.
Wool care commandments
Know what items need what type of wash and sort them accordingly — I have a spreadsheet for some garments though I’ll also take a photo of the original label. You do start to remember quite quickly as many garments are cold wash, which is good for the environment, too.
Work out if you definitely need wool wash detergent — sometimes you can just use hair shampoo (yes, you can!) — and most times normal detergent without softener is perfect.
Use a delicates bag for smalls (my favourite delicates bag is a Norwex one that doubles as a packing cell, gifted from my incredible mother-in-law) and make sure to wash socks with their outsides out to remove little bits of things that can work their way into the knit thus damaging it or causing holes.
Never hang items to dry if you can avoid it — if you do need to, try to drape the item so it can keep its shape. A drying rack is perfect for this. Make sure to gently pull the item out to its standard size when you’re arranging it for drying so it’s not going to dry in a smaller shape.
Other advice for avoiding shrinkage:
I’ve generally found that certain types of wool like lambswool, new wool, and organic wool seem prone to shrinking. Some heavy wool knits seem more sensitive to shrinkage due to the high GSM. Further to this, I’ve experienced shrunk garments when I wasn’t diligent with washing instructions — even 10 degrees can make a difference to the fibres. My best advice is to handwash if in doubt and care for the woollens according to their labels. It’s boring but true and a worthy process for garments to last longer.
Deterring bugs
You might have heard that bugs love to eat wool because it’s a natural fibre. This is sadly entirely true. Banishing bugs is going to be something else you’re mindful of with wool. There’s a very precise feeling that comes over you when you discover a mean moth has munched your woollen clothes. It’s rage mixed with devastation — holes can be sewn but they’re not truly fixable and holes in certain spots are a straight-up travesty to behold.
I’ve learned to deter bugs with a sequence of three steps:
Always wash woollens before storing them and try to wash them if you’re not wearing them regularly — the bugs love to eat skin cells (gross, I’m sorry).
After washing and drying, I treat fabric with deterrent essential oils. I lay out each garment and shake a combination of three essential oils over both sides of the garments including sleeves. This is around 8-10 drops across the garment, like a sweater, and consists of the following three oils: lavender, clove, and, eucalyptus (you get used to this scent, I promise).
Following winter, follow steps 1-2, then store all woollens in extra-large, clean zip-lock or vacuum bags. This is another protective layer against the gremlin bugs and everything will be fresh for the next season of wear.
What about scratching and itching when wearing wool?
The real talk is that, speaking for myself, I find merino to be really soft. It’s important to flag that it won’t always be as comfortable as a cotton t-shirt. Despite this, it’s pleasant to wear in its own unique way that I’ve found you can adapt to. My husband slowly converted to wool over time and now he’s actually worn merino for around 75% of his wardrobe for two years of travel.
For what to expect for yourself, technical wool garments will often be blended — like with nylon, elastene, and even silk (so sultry!) — and this can make them much comfier on your skin again. I’ve read that some people have experimented with hand-washing wool knits using hair conditioner and that this can soften the fabric. If you’re doing this, I’d ensure to mix the conditioner with wool wash or gentle detergent, similar to co-washing your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
Comparatively my overriding outlook is that insulation, low-odour, and functionality are valuable wins. Also quick-drying, longevity, and utility are highly important.
Though this may be TMI, I struggle with synthetics (I have to wash my puffer jacket regularly because it’s just so pongy and quick-dry workout tops are horrendous) and I find that wool keeps me warm. It’s not really about washing less though it’s a helpful upside when travelling. The number one is that I find woollens comfortable in a way that synthetic fibres have never been for me.
A caveat on the negatives — because it’s worth knowing
Underwear other than singlets hasn’t been a complete convert experience for me other than with period underwear — some brands like Modibodi (from their website) use a merino gusset that’s antibacterial and less irritating.
I still wear and embrace other clothes, namely linen, silk, cotton t-shirts, and denim because there are style and movement needs wool can’t fulfil.
Washing in certain contexts can be a headache because it’s expensive to roll the dice on unknown wash settings and I don’t use dryers now — we’ve done a lot of handwashing in hotel bathrooms, empty waste-paper bins, and attentively following the care instructions I mentioned above.
Do you have any questions? Let me know below! I hope you’ve enjoyed Wool 101. Now here’s the Wool Essentials & Brand Guide bonus issue:
Until the next full epistle, read the separate Postcard + Listings sections here. Every week’s song is waiting for you at this evergreen Boundless Bypass Spotify playlist, too.
Stay cosy (not itchy), Aoife
*My sincerest apologies that I’ve misplaced the illustrator credit for this picture — if anyone can identify the creator then I’ll update as a priority.
**I’ve just gotten clothes out of storage and am over-the-moon to have a stack of woollen sweaters again.
This is so informative! I am absolutely bookmarking for future reference. I don't own much wool but I'm going to start thinking more about purchasing it. 🐑 🤍 Also, what a treat to see your sweet and lovely face! Now I can put a face to the name :)
I really enjoyed this and learned about the different types of wool like melton, boiled, etc. I am a knitter and I prefer to work with wool or wool blends like wool and alpaca. I'm currently making three projects and one is with Highland wool from Peru and it has a bit of itch to it but I think it will settle down after its initial wash with wool detergent. I am knitting one project with pure Merino wool from sheep in the Falklands and it is so SOFT. It feels like cotton to touch and against the skin but has the stretch and knits like wool, which is a dream combination for me since I am still a beginner knitter. I also love a soft and fluffy alpaca wool blend or anything mixed with mohair and silk.
I am so glad that you mentioned washing tips and how to store for those who don't know! It is important to remember that the bugs like skin and our scent. I use a combination of space bags with all of the air sucked out to store my own wool items in summer and plastic containers with cedar balls for my yarn. The moths also do not like cedar. A cedar chest also works - which is what my parents store their wool items in but not everyone has such a piece of furniture. What ratio of essential oils do you use for your storage potion?
And finally, I love that you can sweat in wool and it doesn't smell and that it is so breathable. I have a pair of merino wool underwear from Smart wool and all of my hiking socks are wool. They really are the softest and coziest items to have as baselayers.
I'm going to try washing a knit item I have in conditioner. I've got a sweater I bought in the Faroe islands about 6 years ago and it is SO ITCHY that I don't wear it very much and it is beautiful. Even with a long sleeve shirt under it, I can feel how itchy it is and I spend my time wearing it basically clawing at my skin and counting down until I can take it off. This might seem completely outlandish but I sometimes wonder if the sheep's diet has anything to do with people outside of the region being able to tolerate the finished fabric? Like maybe I can't tolerate North Atlantic wool? I know another knitter who lives in Greenland and wears northern Atlantic wool regularly and mohair bothers her. Its just an unfounded thought I've had. I have only mentioned this to a few people but it makes me think! Do you have any animal wools that you find intolerable against your skin?