This time of year religiously calls for comfort. The leaves start to wilt and suddenly going out into the great outdoors seems all the more tedious. When the couch starts looking especially tempting, it’s easy to forget just how fabulous fall can be, with the right gear, that is.
Enter icebreaker, the New Zealand-born merino wool specialist with a knack for making technical outdoor gear feel decidedly less, well, technical. Admittedly, I’m no hiking connoisseur, but being from the very west of Ireland, I’ve spent enough time getting caught in sideways rain to know the difference between a good fleece and a great one. Thinking about it, I’m probably better qualified than most when it comes to judging how well one holds up.
Merino wool is at the heart of it all, bringing the kind of comfort that makes sense wherever you’re headed. Out on a trail, it earns its place. Around town, it’s an easy everyday layer. And when early October can’t quite decide whether it wants to be summer or winter, having something that can handle both is never a bad idea.
On that note, we’ve gone ahead and rounded up the best icebreaker pieces worth nabbing before that dreaded chill creeps in. You’ll thank us come November.
The Shacket (for when a shirt just won’t do)
Ah, the age-old question… is it a shirt? Is it a jacket? You know the rest. The shacket might have moved beyond its status as a cultural phenomenon, but its practicality remains hard to beat. This mossy green fleece version makes a pretty compelling case for keeping the hybrid in rotation, landing somewhere between an overshirt and a jacket and picking up where either one leaves off. This one is particularly thick, while still being breathable, and made from 91% plastic-free fabric, giving it all the makings of a repeat offender in my fall rotation.
Performance Pants (in more ways than one)
These pants caught me a little off guard. On paper, a merino-blend cotton twill trouser sounds pretty outdoorsy, and they certainly have all the credentials to get you through a day in the wild. But put them on and, weirdly, they feel rather… formal? The gray helps, obviously, giving them a smarter edge than you’d expect from something built with muddy trails in mind. They’re ridiculously comfortable, too, which has me seriously considering making them an office regular.
Classic Pile Fleece (consider me sold)
Like I said, me and a reliable fleece go hand in hand at this point. I’m especially into the pile texture on this one, which gives it that slightly retro outdoor feel without going full dad mode (not that I haven’t been known to steal my dad’s too). The fact that it’s a merino blend is a nice bonus, too. I like mine on the snugger side, and this one gets it pretty much spot on.
Elemental Zip Hoodie (the activewear agenda)
If the Classic Pile is more about looking the part, the Elemental Long Sleeve Zip Hoodie is the one that means business. It’s the more performance-driven of the two, made from 100% merino wool and designed to keep up when you’re actually getting your heart rate up, but it also makes plenty of sense on those sunny fall days when the forecast is playing tricks on you. I can already see myself throwing this on when the sun is out but the temperature hasn’t quite got the memo. And should I decide to make good on my occasional claims that I’m going to start exercising, it’s got that covered too.
More Merino Must-Haves
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