Reviewed by a textile engineer
Premium clothing, judged by the fabric.
Down jackets, merino, cashmere and selvedge denim over $100, checked for fiber, shrinkage, colorfastness and pilling before you spend.
Fabric reportLatest review
Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Crew
100% merino · slim fit · made in the USA · gentle cycle
- WarmthGood
- Odor resistanceGood
- DurabilityMedium
Verdict: The benchmark merino thermal: soft, warm and made in the USA. Wash on a gentle cycle and never tumble dry hot.
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Textile Engineer's Note
Shrinkage was the most common failure in the knit lab reports I've reviewed: 115 of 297. A premium price doesn't fix that. The fiber and the finish do.
Kamrul Islam, textile engineer. 14+ years in dyeing and fabric development.