Peace of Mind Organizing

The life-changing magic of merino wool

25 October 2022

In December 2020, I bought my first Wool& merino wool dress and I wore it for 100 days in a row. The challenge changed everything for me.

One year and 10 months later, I have worn merino every single day except maybe a half dozen oddball days. I now own a whopping 15 wool dresses, plus a tunic, two cardigans, four pairs of leggings, two pairs of bike shorts, some culottes and a Moto jacket, all from Wool&. That feels like a lot of clothes, but it’s really all I wear.

I’m in the midst of a 30-day challenge, wearing the cinnamon-and-navy striped Margo shift dress. It’s a heavier dress than the Rowena swing dress that I wore for the 100-day dress challenge and I absolutely love it. It’s so comfortable and cozy; I love the way it looks and feels. (You can get a peek at it in the photo above.)

So what happened? Why am I so in love with these merino wool blend dresses? Here are a few of the reasons I love this way of dressing:

• Less laundry. I do laundry weekly but probably wash no more than two dresses in any given week.
• No smell. Merino wool is odor resistant. I hang the dress I wore on the back of my bedroom door and it sells fresh in the morning.
• No wrinkles. I stopped ironing years ago, so I love that none of these garments require ironing.
• They’re soft. Wool gets a bad rap for being itchy. But, at least for me, merino wool doesn’t itch.
• They’re temperature regulating. I wear these dresses year round, here in St. Louis where it gets both hot and cold.
• I have fewer decisions to make. Right now, since I’m in a 30-day challenge, I know what I’m going to wear every day. But even when I’m not in a challenge, my choices are more limited than they used to be. And I love that.
• The wonderful Facebook community. There’s a great Facebook group called Wool& 100 Day Dress Challenge full of positive energy and support for all body types. It keeps me on Facebook, frankly.
• These garments have a resale value. This isn’t fast fashion. Almost every Wool& piece sells for more than $100 retail and enthusiasts are happy to purchase used garments at near-retail prices because the quality is so high. I have bought and sold many dresses in the Wool& Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook group.

Wool& is by no means the only company that sells great Merino wool garments. I wear wool t-shirts from Woolly and wool underwear from Icebreaker. (I know that wool underwear sounds really uncomfortable to some people, but it’s amazing!) I focus on Wool& because I know and trust them and it limits my choices, which, again, is very helpful to me as someone who is easily overwhelmed by choices.

For me, Wool& dresses have been like eating potato chips. I couldn’t stop at one! But these garments have made getting dressed and feeling good about how I look much easier. And that’s a very good thing.

Tagged with: 100 day challenge, closets, minimalism, simplicity, wardrobe, wool&

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