Excerpt from
Minimalist Packing For One Week To A Season in Europe
Wool&
Sara’s favorite purchase for Europe were these amazing merino wool leggings from Wool&. They are soft, comfortable, breathable, warm but not hot. Flattering, versatile. Initially, she decided to buy them to have a non-jean option for kayaking in Venice. Since wool stays warm when wet, it is a much better option than cotton if you don’t have room for synthetic material athletic wear that isn’t as useful for everyday wear. We love that the leggings are available in several colors, multiple lengths and go up to a plus-size 3X (24-26W).
Sara did try several of their dresses and shirts as well, but didn’t love how any of them looked on her enough to spend the money. They have an awesome number of styles and colors and are continually coming out with new options, so she will probably do another buy in the future, to potentially add a merino wool dress to her travel wardrobe.
One fun thing the company does is wardrobe “challenges”. Essentially, you can both earn yourself a discount (in the form of a substantial gift card) and give your merino wool dress purchase a great trial run by wearing it every day for 30 days. Or, if you are really up for a challenge, 100 days! You can find more details here.
Wool & Prince
Is the men’s version of Wool& – Jeremy was able to get this merino wool dress shirt there, that we consider a good purchase. While he doesn’t rate it 10/10 because it can get slightly itchy in Taiwan heat, it checks a lot of boxes, including stylish, wrinkle-resistant, warm and breathable. Plus it fits a tall traveler! It performed great traveling in Europe.
Unbound Merino
Was where Jeremy found his go to merino wool T-shirt. The shirt comes in a tall, which is hard to find in specialized travel clothes! It looks great, packs great, and is odor-resistant, fast drying, and soft and comfortable to the touch. This was a fantastic buy – we only wish the other colors came in a tall!
Uniqlo Airism
May seem like a non sequitur amongst all this wool, but Sara started shopping there while living in Taiwan and finds their Airism “sweat-wicking” line, to be a really great buy. Not only have they created a relatively comfortable, quick-drying synthetic fabric, they are very affordable and carry plus sizes in many styles. Sara says: “Since I have a history of skin cancer, I love that the line is UV protective. Besides the shirts that I took with me to Europe, I wear their mesh hoodies almost daily in Taiwan, especially for scootering, and would definitely take them to Europe as part of a summer travel wardrobe.”
Darn Tough
Our favorite ever wool sock brand. The comfort and lifetime guarantee are unbeatable. They also have an awesome variety of colors, sizes, and styles. Jeremy tried a large variety of wool socks and they were hands down the winner. Just having options big enough for his feet is a win!
Merino Tech
A brand Sara found on Amazon and ended up purchasing two merino wool layering pieces from. The shirts I bought are good quality for a great price. They can be slightly itchy when worn directly against the skin, so your mileage may vary. They are definitely worth giving a shot if you are looking for some budget merino wool options.