How to Wear Merino Wool in Summer

Summer is all about wool here at Woollykins. Our family wears wool all year round - Yes, even in the Summer! Merino wool helps regulate body temperature and doesn't feel all sweaty - ask a farmer!

We have a huge range of merino basics for all year round and look for our range of kids merino t-shirts including plant-dyed wool tees, women's merino t-shirts, men's merino t-shirts or light long-sleeves by Cosilana to protect from the summer sun.

Wool/Silk or Cotton/Wool/Silk are our favourite fibre blends for the Spring/Summer. The silk adds a cooling, soothing feel. One of the best things about wool in Summer is that you use fewer clothes so you'll noticed your laundry load is dramatically smaller. Wool can be aired to clean and worn again. Dirt falls away and the lanolin in wool neutralises odours.

Wool socks - wool and feet are best friends, all year round your feet will feel cooler in 100% organic wool socks. Choose the lighter weight ones, or our all year round wool, all seasons sock, hemp socks and linen blend socks.

What's the science behind why wool works in both Summer and Winter?

"The unique structure of wool means that the exterior of the fibre is hydrophobic, which tends to repel water while the interior of the fibre is hygroscopic, which attracts water. This means that the fibre can absorb up to a third of its weight in moisture vapour without feeling wet or losing warmth, which is one of the attributes that gives wool its comfort factor." Source

A loose Merino t-shirt in Summer regulates temperature and keeps you cool. As an active fibre it responds to body temperature changes and stores humidity in the fibres which it then releases as your body heats up, keeping you at a stable temperature. Merino wool also has a naturally high UV protection factor with plant dyes shown to further increase UVP.

Summer Sun Smart Clothing

Dermatologist recommend covering up as the 2nd best protection method. The 1st choice is not going out in the sun at all, but that's not fun is it!? Summer is all about the fun but constantly reapplying Sunscreen throughout the day is hard to manage with kids, especially if you have more than one, and clogging up the pores with the many and varied chemical ingredients in creams these days is not ideal either. A light loose linen shirt or a loose long sleeve merino/silk or cotton/merino/silk top is a great way to minimise the need for all-over sunscreen while still maintaining UV protection.

Wool Nappy Covers in Summer - why doesn't wool overheat you ask?

Wool nappy covers are brilliant in the summer and the amazing properties of merino wool really come into their own in extremes of temperatures. The amazing breathability means that there is no humid micro climate down there and the wicking properties of wool means that your baby doesn't feel wet and sticky as they would with a PUL cover. Customer's say "We 100% love our Disana covers. We use them full time year round. So much cooler than a sweaty plastic cover. We just use them as shorts on hot days."

Our No.1 Beach Tip!

Beach days are fun but wet rashies in the wind can really make your little ones cold. We put a 100% merino wool vest under our rashies so that our kids can play the day away without blue lips. When wool is wet, it doesn't sap our body heat like cotton and other fibres do.

You know when your kids get out from hours in the water and they come to you like iceblocks all shivering and blue? There is nothing like throwing on a soft Wool Fleece Jacket and instantly taking away the chill factor. The wool fleece feels light and fluffy and will help dry off the skin and bring instant warmth. Plus it's a light and easy thing to throw in the beach bag and can even double up as a towel if an impromptu swim is in order. 

A good sun hat is hard to find.

Many UV Sun hats are made of poly fabrics and are impregnated with chemical finishes to achieve their UV protection status. That's not really something you want on your child's precious skin. Pickapooh's GOTS certified organic cotton UV rated Sun hats are so well designed. They are the highest UV rated hats we have found, Pickapooh go beyond the Australian and NZ standard with their international UV Standard 801 rating which tests fabrics under real-life conditions, wet, worn and stretched and is the most accurate reflection of UV protection. Pickapooh is the only company with UV Standard 801 rated hats that are 100% organic and made from natural fibres without synthetics.

The Pure Pure and Fabelab range of Summer Hats for babies and children offer UV Protection rated according to Australian-New Zealand sun production standards and all their hats have good to very good UV protection. And that is also without any chemical post-treatment as per many other UV rated hats. The dense weaves and strong colours protect naturally. Generally, the darker the colour the higher the UV rating.

Shop all Sun Hats for Children and enjoy your low-tox Summer in natural fibres.