All you need to know about wool

It's chilly out, and its the holidays, chances of you wearing of getting a wool sweater this season is quite high. Here is an article on how to care for a wool sweater. There are different types of wool, benefits, and care instructions that you should keep in mind. Here are 5 tips and facts about wool.

Itchy & Scratchy 


A real reason why some people don't like wool is that itchy feeling. Usually that's because the wool strands are a bit thicker and more coarse. There is actually a small percentage of people who are allergic to wool. There are 2 ways to combat this feeling. 

1. Layer. Cotton shirts aren't only for the summertime. Using a shirt underneath not only adds warmth without the bulk, but also adds a layer between your skin and the itchy material. 
2. Mix the materials. Some sweaters are not 100% wool which is great because you still get the warmth without the itchiness. Finding fabrics with small percentages of yak hair, cotton, acrylic means it'll be softer 

DO.NOT.HANG. 

This goes for those larger and chunkier sweaters. We recommend folding your wool sweaters down. Leaving them on a hanger will cause the fibres  to stretch on the shoulders. If you don't have any drawer space then use a thick jacket hanger to hang them. Or drape them on the hanger instead like above. 

Don't need to wash

Wool is a great material you can use for travelling and even for a first date. Wool is wrinkle resistant so don't worry about grabbing it from your carry-on to your business meeting. Also because of the fibres of wool, it circulates air and moisture away from your body. So if you're meeting an attractive person for the first time and known to sweat a lot, maybe rethink your outfit with a wool top.

If you do wash...

We recommend washing your sweater sparingly. But sometimes gravy gets on it and it calls for a deep rinse. We suggest washing with cold water and using wool specific detergent. Try spot cleaning the stain first, then airing out the sweater outside to remove any scents. Do not put the sweater in the dryer! It will come out as a perfect sweater for a Ken doll. Lay flat to dry, or even roll up the sweater on a towel and gently press on it to remove excess water in the threads. 

 

Try wool's close cousins 

There are many different types of wool that have different textures and thickness. One type of wool that we carry and recommend for people is Merino wool. Merino wool's threads are a lot more thinner so it's less bulky and itchy. There's also mohair, lambswool, etc. Cashmere is also a great alternative, sometime more pricier, but it is more softer and still provides warmth. 

If you would like to see the different types of wool sweaters and garment we have checkout out site: WWW.Gotstyle.com. Or have any styling questions about how to wear a chunky sweater message us on instagram, or book an appointment with one of our stylists!