The only upside I can think of to fall and winter are snugly sweaters to keep me warm. Like the new Toad & Co Merino Merritt Hoodie ($199). It’s made of 100 percent certified non-mulesed Merino lambswool.
What I Love
Fit. I feel it runs true to size. I wear a small and the size small Merritt certainly feels right. It offers enough of a relaxed fit to accommodate a dress or long-sleeved shirt underneath without looking schlumpy. I also love the length. The size small hits three inches above the knee making it an awesome length to wear with leggings, skinny jeans and boots.
Fair Isle style. I have binge-watching Shetland to thank for knowing that there is place called Fair Isle. I have Wikipedia to thank that it has its own style! Fair Isle is knitting is a technique that creates patterns with only two colors that are worked per row. The yarn is carried behind the work for a limited number of stitches. Since I wanted to be a Fair Isle stylish as possible, I went with the brown sugar heather color. Brown is a color I always avoid. So bland. But wow. Brown sugar heather is an amazing. Very Fair Isle-ish.
Soft and itch-free. This is because the Merino wool is boiled down to enhance softness and remove the scratchiness that causes wool to feel itchy and rough.
Humanely produced. The ethical treatment of sheep is a growing concern in the fashion and outdoor industry. Mulesing is a horrific practice. Right up there with declawing cats. The wool around sheep’s butt can become rancid with poo and pee, which attracts flies that lays eggs and turn into maggots and start eating the sheep’s butt. During the mulesing process, strips of wool-bearing skin are removed from around the animal’s bum so that wool doesn’t grow. Hello! 21st Century here! There are enough humane ways to treat this affliction that mulesing isn’t necessary. Fortunately, the Merino Merritt Hoodie has the certified non-mulesed label, ensuring the sheep are happily grazing and frolicking in the high pastures of New Zealand, with the skin around their butts fully intact.
Warmth: It’s already warm and snugly on its own. But to maximize the warmth, I add a long-sleeved shirt or wool baselayer underneath.
What could be Better
Some buttons or other ways to hold it closed to retain optimum warmth. So far this fall I’ve been wearing it on its own without a jacket. Each time a gusty wind grabs hold, I have to hold it place, wrap-style.
Final Thoughts
The Toad & Co Merino Merritt Hoodie is neither ground-breaking or earth-shattering in its design. And that’s why I love it. It’s a classic piece of clothing that outlives all the fashion styles that are in one season and out the next. We all need at least one wardrobe staple that is high-quality, ethically-sourced and is so classic and simple that the ebb and flow of fashion trends can’t touch.
Baaa!
