How is everyone's summer going?
This summer, as if to escape Nagoya's muggy heat, I've been traveling around for events — Hokkaido, Nagano, Fukui. Right now I'm using our summer break to visit Minakami in Gunma Prefecture, and the air at the foot of the mountains, flowing along the river, really does feel good.
Over the past few years, I've been hearing the phrase "comfort temperature" more and more. Perhaps it's precisely because we now feel abnormal weather on our own skin so often that we've started to think again about what a “comfortable environment” is.
So, what material creates that comfortable temperature and humidity inside your clothes?
In my view, it has to be merino wool.
Wool in summer? I'm sure plenty of you are thinking that. But wool is a material that excels at regulating both temperature and humidity. It's in the hot season that it really shows what it can do.
How to Shed That Clammy Feeling When You Sweat
With its ability to regulate temperature and humidity, merino wool is sometimes called "nature's air conditioner."
Cool when it's hot, warm when it's cold.
Sounds too good to be true? It is true.
One of the reasons lies in the structure of the wool fiber.
Wool has a natural waviness called "crimp," and that crimp creates tiny pockets of air within the fabric. Thanks to these air pockets, heat is neither trapped too much nor released too much, keeping the environment inside your clothes just right.
On top of that, the inner part of the fiber, called the "cortex," absorbs and releases moisture in response to the humidity of the surrounding air. When humidity is high it takes in more moisture, and when the air is dry it doesn't draw away more moisture than necessary.
In other words, merino wool isn't just a material that soaks up sweat — it's a material that works to balance the humidity inside your clothes itself.
Yamatomichi 100% Light Merino Sleeveless
The technical side may be hard to get across in words alone, but there is one favorite of mine that I can recommend from actual use as a sure thing.
Yamatomichi 100% Light Merino Sleeveless is such a favorite that I end up buying another one every year.
It's so smooth against the skin that you don't feel any of wool's typical itchiness. And the fabric is so thin and light you'd hardly believe it's wool.
The reason I love this piece is, above all, that it's easy to use in any situation.
Lounging around at home, sleeping — first of all, it's perfect for everyday life.
For an easy ride, I pair it with shorts for a light, casual style. It feels like heading out to play, summer-style, and that's the best.
And as a base layer, in summer and winter alike. Wearing it year-round also makes it easier to keep the moths away, which is a nice bonus.
It's the piece I wear most throughout the year, so I can't help adding more every year.
If I had to name a weakness, it would be durability. I've snagged and rubbed holes in plenty of mine. Even so, the comfort doesn't change, so I keep wearing the ones with holes as base layers.
When you wash it, put it in a laundry net and wash it as gently as you can.
Summer Is Exactly the Time for Merino Wool
In summer, you're going to sweat no matter what.
What matters is not avoiding sweat, but how little discomfort is left after you've sweated.
The feeling of clothes clinging to your skin with sweat,
the chill the moment you step into an air-conditioned room,
the discomfort of staying in clothes that never quite dry,
and the smell after wearing them for hours.
Merino wool naturally takes care of those small summer stresses.
Not "wool in summer?" but rather wool precisely because it's summer.
It's in the sweaty season that its comfort really makes a difference.
Let's stay comfortable through the lingering heat with merino wool!
Have a great summer, everyone ☀️
