[Yamatomichi] 100% Merino Wool Apparel

2021/2/3 柳瀬公識

My Chinese zodiac sign is the Sheep.
I love wearing merino wool products.
It is not at all because of any "sheep-year nature," but it might be a lie to say I wasn't conscious of it.

In any case, when choosing functional wear, I prefer merino wool products because I have become captivated by their superior functionality and soft texture. Furthermore, they are highly convenient garments that can be worn throughout the year—in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Advantages of Merino Wool Products

Features of merino wool products include excellent temperature and humidity regulation and natural odor resistance. Because of this, there are numerous incomparable advantages for outdoor wear: it keeps you warm when it's cold, provides cooling when it's hot, and doesn't smell even after a week of continuous wear. Additionally, wool generates heat upon absorption when wet, and by drawing moisture into the fibers, it keeps the skin surface dry even when caught in the rain or sweating heavily. Its fibers are also elastic, meaning they maintain a certain level of heat retention even when wet by trapping air between the fibers.

Disadvantages of Merino Wool Products

While merino wool has many advantages, it also has its drawbacks. Issues such as susceptibility to distortion and shrinkage due to being a natural fiber, as well as low durability, cannot be ignored for clothing where functionality is sought. To mitigate these downsides, many manufacturers blend in synthetic fibers. However, the higher the blending ratio, the more the unique properties of merino wool are lost. Many brands continue to experiment with how to find the right balance and what products are best suited for various situations.

Yamatomichi Products Made of 100% Merino Wool

In this environment, Yamatomichi creates 100% merino wool products with the primary focus of maximizing its appeal without losing the characteristics of merino wool. Of course, this does not mean that all the aforementioned disadvantages are resolved. We have weighed the pros and cons of products made from 100% merino wool and have concluded that the benefits gained from using 100% merino wool are worth accepting the disadvantages.

Strength Gained by Using Double-Ply Yarn

However, simply making fabric from 100% merino wool would not have resulted in something we were satisfied with. The fabric used by Yamatomichi features high strength by being knitted from what is known as double-ply yarn. Normally, fabric is knitted from a single thread called single-ply yarn, but Yamatomichi's fabric uses two yarns twisted together. Furthermore, when the yarns are twisted, the increased number of twists provides firmness and resilience, further increasing strength.

The resulting Yamatomichi merino wool products not only possess the functionality to perform in various scenes such as mountaineering and touring, but also provide a supreme level of comfort that makes you want to keep wearing them in everyday life.

Personally, I have been wearing the Light Merino Kangaroo Poc T-Shirt and Light Merino Sleeveless T-Shirt since the year before last, and I feel that their fluffy, soft texture is something you simply cannot experience with anything else. I wear them as standalone pieces in the summer and as base layers in the winter, making them staples throughout the year.

Of course, after many washes, some slight distortion has appeared, but they still make me want to wear them. I truly want more people to experience that level of comfort.

Yamatomichi Merino Wool Product Lineup at the Circles Store

Below, I have picked out the Yamatomichi merino wool products currently available at Circles. If you are interested, please come visit our store to see and try them on in person.

Please note that visits to our store are currently by appointment only, so once you have decided on a date for your visit, please book using our online reservation form.

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