thats_your_name_dude t1_j28ptjj wrote on December 30, 2022 at 1:33 PM

Reply to comment by skinnydong2706 in opinions? any one have any experience with this brand and style cold weather gear? Is it work the $625 price tag? by skinnydong2706

I own the Stormy Kromer wool mackinaw that goes for ~$330. It is excellent. Works in a variety of conditions. Just for the hell of it I dunked it in water for five minutes and then wore it for an hour in 5 degree Fahrenheit weather with only a thin base layer underneath. I didn’t get cold. Pure wool does have the type of temperature range that weatherwool describes. If you’re willing to go with a wool/synthetic blend, Duluth Trading makes stuff for an even better price.

All this being said, I am currently sewing a jacket from weatherwool’s fabric. The fabric blows the mackinaw wool out of the water. It’s soft enough to be against my sensitive skin without a base layer. I guarantee you that the people bashing the weatherwool‘s price have never felt the fabric in their hands. The people with whom I’ve shared the fabric thought it was a soft cotton fleece.

I am also sewing the jacket with the construction methods used by wearherwool. It’s a PITA. Slotted buttons, heavily reinforced seams, bonded nylon thread, no cotton whatsoever, etc. Its very labor intensive to build. I have a hard time believing that weatherwool’s prices allow them to earn a significant net margin.

TL;DR: the wearherwool will only be worth it to you if you want the absolute best wool fabric garment. But the people bashing the price have zero experience with the product.

skinnydong2706 OP t1_j28wotn wrote on December 30, 2022 at 2:29 PM

Inexperienced with this type of material, how do you clean it? Thank you for your comment, now I don't fell like a jackass for wanting this jacket. 650 is steep, but I know people that pay twice that for some bullshit jordan 1 sneaker. This product/company just gives me the vibes of what quality clothing should be.

thats_your_name_dude t1_j295fu9 wrote on December 30, 2022 at 3:33 PM

Happy to help. I really am surprised to see so many negative comments from people who are ignorant in regards to high end wool products.

Jacquard-woven wool is cleaned in the same manner as melton wool/mackinaw wool. Use a garment brush to remove dirt, dust, etc. Wool fibers don’t hold onto messes the same way that cotton and synthetics do, so the brush truly does remove most messes, even messes that would require laundering with a cotton or synthetic garment. I have inadvertently spilled wax on my wool garments, only to remove the mess completely with a brush after it cooled. Try doing that with cotton or polyester!

Pure wool doesn’t hold onto odors either. And while it does smell when wet, the scent goes away when dry. This means that you don’t need to worry about dry cleaning very often (you don’t want to launder this sort of wool in your washing machine unless you are deliberately attempting to re-shape the fabric). I have owned wool garments that were dry cleaned once per year despite daily wear in a variety of hot and cool conditions. Even then, the dry cleaning wasn’t truly necessary. I just did it because I had access to really cheap dry cleaning at the time.

For more-detailed cleaning guides, YouTube is your friend. But at the end of the day, pure wool is incredibly low maintenance unless you are up to your arms in blood, grease, or bodily fluids. These messes can be removed as well with a relatively low effort, but will probably stain the fabric. If you are worried about stains, definitely go with dark colors.

Mergath t1_j29rk9y wrote on December 30, 2022 at 5:56 PM

>But the people bashing the price have zero experience with the product.

But plenty of experience with other wool garments. I don't need to get personally screwed to know that anyone spending $600+ on a single wool shirt is getting screwed. It sounds like the only thing it has going for it compared to other wool garments is that it's softer. Which, given that this item isn't even meant to be a base layer, doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me.

thats_your_name_dude t1_j2a40cs wrote on December 30, 2022 at 7:14 PM

Believe me when I tell you that this isn’t like other wools. I have worn a large variety of woolens over the years (Filson, Pendleton, Big Bill, etc), and this fabric is significantly better. The labor intensive construction adds another layer of cost. Just because it isn’t worth it to you doesn’t mean that the people who buy it are “getting screwed.” If anything, they are choosing a manufacturer with next to nothing in terms of marketing or brand premium.