By: Blonde Two
We Blondes have been fans of merino wool for a very long time. I have met a few merino sheep in New Zealand (they originally came from Spain) and are as fine as their lovely wool fibres. As a rule B1 and I wear our merino tops for a large proportion of our time outside. Merino base layers are our favourite, they are soft and warm and repel water away from the skin better than any other fabric we have come across (it is almost like nature knows how to deal with weather!) One thing we both notice about our merino tops and leggings is their resistance to becoming smelly after a day or three out walking. This makes them the ideal candidate for summer tops as well as winter tops, which is partly why we were so thrilled to be asked to try out the new Icebreaker range of Cool-Lite™ clothing. There was plenty to choose from but we both opted for tops, mainly because we weren’t sure that photos of us in merino knickers would show them off to their best advantage! Icebreaker Cool-Lite™ adds another nature-based fibre Tencel to the merino mix (plus a touch of nylon for strength) and the result is a fabric that feels as soft as pure merino but has even better moisture wicking properties.
Blonde One chose the Women’s Cool-Lite Sphere Short Sleeve Polo
How many Icebreaker Merino tops is too many? I’m not sure but I am willing to keep adding to the number as they are just perfect! This polo shirt is no exception and did all of the things that it was supposed to. It was cool for those few days on Gold DofE when the sun shone and it provided a warm baselayer when the chill set in at the end of the day. The reason for choosing this top was to take to Morocco in July but I can’t wait that long and it’s been on several Dartmoor trips already. The cooling nature of the fabric obviously means it’s quite thin so I may have to rethink taking it to Morocco anyway and choose one of the other excellent Icebreaker tops instead. It was perfectly comfortable whether I was driving the minibus, racing to a checkpoint with my rucksack on or just waiting around – coffee in hand. All in all, another successful addition to the Icebreaker collection chez Blonde One.
Blonde Two chose the Women’s Cool-Lite Sphere Short Sleeve Scoop Relief
I am a mega Icebreaker fan (partly because I love New Zealand so much) and I am just as likely to be seen wearing my merinos in the summer months as the winter, so I was particularly pleased to try out the new Icebreaker Cool-Lite™ range. Icebreaker always offer a good fit so I wasn’t surprised that the XL fitted nicely with just the balance of fit and give that I like. One of the problems I have with merino is over-use (most of my merino base layers have darns in them) as merino wool can be quite delicate and develop runs. The Cool-Lite™ fibre has a bit of nylon added and feels a tad stronger so I am hoping that this will suit my heavy ‘wearing schedule’ without losing the usual comfort benefit. The sun is being slow to come out here in Devon but I have already worn my Cool-Lite™ top for one Dartmoor outing and it did a good job of controlling my temperature. Hopefully, the weather be a bit warmer on my forthcoming trip to New Zealand. I am certainly planning to wear my new Icebreaker top to travel as we will be going through a range of temperatures (I am always cold on planes but too hot at airports). The really great thing about it is that it is long enough to tuck in when I need a bit of warmth but will sit comfortably and keep me cool when the customs queues get a bit overheated. The other thing I really like about this top is that it has a relief pattern of New Zealand on the front (additional contours may have inadvertently been added to the North Island!) Thanks Icebreaker!
