What it is

Merino is wool from a specific breed of sheep originally raised on the Iberian Peninsula and selectively bred over five centuries for the fineness of their fleece. The Merino is now raised worldwide; Australia produces the largest volume of fine merino wool in the world, with New Zealand, Argentina, and South Africa also significant producers.

Fineness in wool is measured in microns. A coarse carpet wool runs around 35 microns. Standard apparel wool sits at 22 to 24 microns. Merino used in fine apparel is typically 17 to 19 microns, with the rarest superfine merino reaching 11 to 13 microns — finer than cashmere. The lower the micron count, the softer the wool sits against the skin.

How it is made

Sheep are shorn once a year, typically in spring. A skilled shearer removes a sheep’s entire fleece in one continuous piece without harming the animal. The fleece is then sorted by quality and grade. Coarser belly and leg wool is separated from the finer shoulder and back wool.

The selected wool is scoured to remove lanolin, suint, and dirt, then carded to align the fibres, then combed if a worsted (smooth, fine) yarn is wanted or simply spun directly for a woollen (softer, fuzzier) yarn. The yarn is woven into the cloth that becomes your jumper, your shirt, or your trousers. Sheep regrow their fleece every year — merino wool is one of the genuinely renewable luxury fibres.

The hand

Soft, drapey, with a quiet warmth that does not announce itself. Crucially, merino does not itch in the way coarser wool can: the fibres are too fine to trigger the skin’s prickle threshold, so even people who think they cannot wear wool can wear merino. Hold a length to the light and you can see the natural crimp — the tiny waves in each fibre — that traps insulating air.

Why it is worth its price

Merino wool is naturally temperature-regulating — the crimped fibre traps warmth in cold, releases moisture as humidity rises. It is naturally odour-resistant: the keratin and lanolin work against the bacteria that cause odour, which is why mountaineers and serious travellers wear merino for days without washing. It is naturally moisture-wicking. It is slow to wrinkle. It resists fire to a higher temperature than cotton or silk. It biodegrades.

Almost every property that synthetic performance fabrics try to engineer in, merino has by nature. That is why it costs what it costs.

How to care for it

• Wash: cold hand-wash with a wool-specific detergent. Or use a wool cycle on a machine that has one — not a regular gentle cycle.
• Never use regular detergent. The enzymes break down keratin, which is what wool is made of.
• Never wring or twist. Wool fibres become weaker when wet and can be damaged permanently.
• Dry: lay flat on a clean towel, reshape gently while damp, away from direct heat and sun.
• Refresh between wears: hang the garment in a bathroom while you shower — the steam relaxes wool and removes odour. A merino piece can be worn many times between washes.
• Iron: use steam, on the reverse, at a medium setting. Or just steam without ironing.
• Storage: fold — never hang — to prevent shoulder distortion. Store with cedar blocks, lavender sachets, or in a sealed garment bag. Moths are the wool wearer’s only real enemy.
• Pilling: some pilling on areas of friction (underarms, sides) is normal in the first weeks. Use a fabric comb or sweater stone to remove it. After the early pills are gone, the surface stabilises.

Best worn as

Shirts, jumpers, base layers, trousers, suiting in heavier weights, scarves. Excellent for Australian winters and for the cool morning, warm afternoon, cool evening rhythm of shoulder-season weather. Merino travels well: a single merino piece outperforms three cotton pieces in variable climates.