{Bonus} Wool Essentials

Wool everything — and go! A special follow-up to the Wool Guide.

Feb 28, 2024

So, I’ve talked your ear off about how wool is going to revolutionise your style, travel, and lifestyle needs. Now, here are my most-loved wool items — I’ve managed to curate it down to just ten! Let’s get cosy.

In this bonus post, you’ll find the following covered:

My 10 wool essentials
Go-to wool brands
- Off-the-rack buying
- Secondhand and vintage
Highly-rated brands I’ve read about

The 10 wool essentials that are coming with me on every trip:

Fitted Camisole/Tank Top — I’m continually rotating Icebreaker (blend) and Aldi (pure merino, Aisle of Glory snag) tanks. I wear both nearly every time I go outside in cool to cold climates. I’ll usually work out in one of these camis then wear or sleep in the other. They’re impossibly soft, second-skin comfort levels. A note: the Icebreaker singlet was a really expensive purchase for me — I still feel slightly sick about the purchase as it’s more than I’ve ever spent on any intimates. After a huge outlay (for me), I can tell you that after wearing it nonstop for two-and-a-half years, it’s more than stood up. I think there is one small negligible hole. Recently I wore it for a winter week straight without washing (a long, unintended story) and it didn’t smell at all. I’d call this a non-negotiable for hiking and travel — the MVP’s MVP, if you will.

Scarf — a pure merino scarf is a gift I got for myself when I hit a major goal. I hunted for a long time and bought mine 50% off from John Hanly who make all their knits in Ireland from Irish wool. I always have it in my handbag/backpack and will wrap it around my head on a plane then drape the excess length over my eyes. The goal is to cocoon myself and I’ve found that it's far cosier than any eye mask. My husband regularly steals this scarf, too. Chic, classic, and, frankly, irresistible.

Smartwool ‘Margarita’ Light Hiking Socks

Socks — for the last two years I’ve exclusively worn Smartwool light hiking socks and it’s at a point where I can’t work out (or hike) without them. I also wear them every single day now. Their socks are usually a blend of around 55% merino with 45% other textiles. The blending is fairly standard for technical wool garments as it helps with garment resilience. The other upside is that the socks dry a little bit more quickly. These socks are endlessly comfortable and will keep your toes so toasty. I’ve found them to be properly true-to-size.

Sweater — a turtleneck or a mini polo-neck is my preference. It’s classic and layerable over a dress, with jeans, for hiking, and for sightseeing. This is a no-brainer when it comes to my personal style and I love to style it up or down. For a long time I’ve worn a Uniqlo black merino turtleneck* (not ribbed) and I’ve just added a form-fitting Vege Threads black pure merino number, pictured above, to the mix (it’s a light-mid merino if we’re going by GSM). I could write a full guide to sweaters and will recommend some beloved brands after the Essentials.
*I cannot see the Uniqlo turtleneck onsite right now — this is a link to the men’s version (I usually size down at least 1-2 sizes in men’s knits).

Long-sleeve Fitted Top — I live in a long-sleeve pure merino top from Kathmandu — it’s even worn as a sweater in a picture included in the Wool Guide — and it stretches nicely without losing its shape. For this style that’s core to my travel, life, hiking, and cool-weather running kit, I aim for a light-mid GSM. I’m planning to get a second one of these ASAP.

Thermal Base Layers — another must for cold weather whether for under jeans or as pyjamas while travelling in winter climates. I own a Dilling merino thermal set purchased for winter hiking in Canada and Norway; they have a comprehensive range for Women, Men, & Kids. Their products are ethically made and they pay a living wage to their makers in Europe.

Half-zip Top — this upgrade has been life-changing, to say the least. I realised that outdoor winter running could be doable, nay, enjoyable when I chose this Kari Traa pure merino half-zip. Due to travel plans, I bought the matching base layer pants as the half-zip is also considered to be a base layer. I’ve never looked back and I always like to do an awkward, shoulder-heavy walk around the house à la this when I’m wearing them. Don’t ask me why, though the stretchiness and the jazzy print might contribute. The Kari Traa thermal weave is thick yet breathable and keeps me so warm while working out outdoors in the cold. I can’t believe I slept on a half-zip for so long!

T-shirt — a truly fitted merino t-shirt — I had a glorious pure merino one from Dilling* — is really sexy and won’t smell. You can hike in these, hang out in these in summer, and I’ve consistently run or done HIIT in my Stoic one, too. They’re absolutely worth it.

*no longer onsite, sadly

Hat — I adore my merino hats and I think there’s a case for everyone owning one. My number one is my Colorful Standard raspberry baby and I just always feel so thrilled while wearing it (I tested mine in icy, windy conditions while iceberg hunting in Newfoundland and it more than proved its worth). You can’t be sad with a highlighter head — they’re so cool and they’ll keep you cosy AF.

Buff — my newest merino must-have is a buff that I made mine during the Aldi merino sale back in Australia. Buffs are another piece you won’t regret keeping in your outdoor kit and I’ve been playing around with using mine as a mock-turtleneck style in non-GORPcore moments. As a trekking guide told me, a buff is one of the most useful things you can pack for the outdoors — neck warmer, sweat band, hair cover…the list goes on. The one pictured above is a merino option from the REI Co-op.

Before you start shopping these brands, my tip for any wool purchase is to always deep-dive fabric tags as certain retailers will market a garment as wool even when the fabric breakdown is 50% wool or less. This is a little naughty as it’s a misnomer and in the bigger picture, it’s contributing to poor quality in the fashion industry.

Remember for shopping:

Overall, always check tags. This practice is extra beneficial when you’re thrift-shopping (you can find some treasures through tag-checking).
Online, always look for the ‘Details’ or the ‘Fabric’ or the ‘Material’ tab on product pages. You’ll find GSM breakdown here as well.
Materially, the only time you want to make any pure wool sacrifices is for technical merino like Icebreaker — otherwise any synthetic blending in sweaters will diminish warmth, insulation, and odour minimisation features.

12 Wool Brands I swear by no matter when you’re making the investment

Icebreaker — for everything from underwear to base layers through to coats and mid-layers, this New Zealand company is pretty unstoppable.
Kari Traa — a Norwegian brand founded by a three-time Olympic medallist, their merino base layers are arguably made to be worn as an outfit, not just to keep you warm while on the slopes. KT is some pretty serious dopamine dressing.
Colorful Standard — not just for hats — there’s socks, sweaters, and beanies awaiting you. Their rainbow of options is equal parts collect-them-all and snap up your signature colour in effortless styles. CS is made from recycled wool in Portugal and their hat sizing is unisex so you can always plan purchases with anyone you share clothing with (read: more colour options for you!).
Blarney Woollen Mills — an Irish must-visit, BWM make their stunning collector’s pieces locally and have a massive range of options. Heavy wool, traditional sweaters and cardigans, blankets and accessories — the list goes on. We’re both enamoured with our purchases from here.
Vege Threads — Australian-made wool options from a brand that’s ethical, playful, and under-the-radar. These are modern pieces that are a fun, in-the-know secret (check out their hemp range, too!).
Smartwool — I’ve already waxed exponentially about my love of Smartwool socks. What I will say, practically speaking, is that you might need to mix up your styles for different activities and shoes. For example, I have full cushion, thicker socks for cosy wear whereas I’ll wear light cushion styles for hiking. Take your time finding the right style for your needs and make sure to check out their clothing range.
Ireland’s Eye — another Irish brand making soft, swoony wool pieces according to tradition. I have a classic hat that’s truly exceptional quality. Their designs are romantic without being over-adorned or likely to date.
Stoic — outdoors-oriented pieces that are fitted yet comfortable for an active lifestyle. I’ve worn their socks and t-shirts — both are excellent for everyday and activewear.
Kathmandu — a heritage New Zealand outdoors brand that’s designed for exploration. In recent years, they’ve refreshed their offerings for more style-centric trail-ready options. Investing in both their wool products and their gear is a total pleasure.
John Hanly — another Irish brand that makes exquisite accessories that are sturdy yet very ‘buy once and never buy again’. Keep an eye on their sale options — this is how I brought my merino scarves from JH into the fold.
Woolpower — a Swedish — literal — wool powerhouse, their range of garments keep you properly warm. The Woolpower core items help you withstand true winter conditions. This definitely fits the addage, “No bad weather, only bad clothing”.
Stance — luxe hiking socks that double as streetwear. According to my husband, these socks stand up to the test of performance wear (we haven’t tried their other items). They’re sublime for alpine hiking and simply put: they look really good and feel really, really good.

Vintage, Thrifting & Secondhand — brands & items to look for

Ken Done — especially on Etsy — these unique pieces are special one-off sweaters.
Cos — high-quality minimalist pure wool workhouse items.
Uniqlo — like Cos, pure merino garments for years and years of wear — work, life, travel, play.
Dilling — also worth purchasing new; they make a wide range of everyday wool items in all different wool fabrics (their wool production explainer offers valuable insights to their supply chain and values).
Aldi — only available in their special sales and worth keeping an eye on seasonal catalogues for — they’re usually available in May (Southern Hemisphere) and I would guess October/November (Northern Hemisphere).
Boden — some lovely wool pieces though fabric tag scrutiny is important based on my recent online shopping experience.
Country Road — heritage Australian wool garments that are fashion-forward yet designed for timeless wear (often found secondhand in Aus — pre-2000s CR is always a smart purchase).

Brands I’ve read positive things about

Toorallie — Australian-designed contemporary wool garments.
Babaà — made-in-Spain heirloom-ready wool pieces.
Darn Tough — made-in-Canada socks with a lifetime warranty (I’ve heard these are as good if not better than Smartwool [I remain loyal to SW for now]).
Tracksmith — highly-rated active pieces that look like a preppy dream.
J. Crew — I’ve always heard that people invest in J. Crew although recently there have been mixed reports around quality.
Everlane — again, I haven’t purchased any wool garments from Everlane; reviews are mostly good.

To finish, here are three pieces on my wool wishlist right now:

Mons Royale Women’s Arete Wool Insulation Vest in black | Obsessed with finally getting a puffer vest that unites outdoor needs (DWR finish!) with wool capabilities [Bergfreunde is great for filtering according to material].
Tercette No. 6 Sweater in Moss | A 50% yak wool blend (!) and 50% sheep wool blend, the discrete sleeve and neck details on this everyday turtleneck are slaying me. Even on sale — and don’t get me started on the impeccable hue — this is not currently viable for me. Window-shopping inspiration only.
Toorallie High-Rise Slim-Leg Jeans in black | A denim merino blend with 20% merino that immediately intrigued me. I’m curious to see how these would wear across climates. This sale is a great deal and if only it were possible to try these on, I’d so be there.