wool jackets and sweaters

[skbenton]

What the "go to" places for wool clothing? I have googled and came up empty handed or found sites with ridiculous prices.

[iraqvet0709]

try military surplus websites and stores...the old wool sweaters the army issued back in the day are amazingly warm and i wish i had kept mine when i got out. also look at second hand stores...its a possibility.

[Pat1973]

Filson,llbean,woolovers.ca,ebay,woolrich,of course it all depends in what kind of clothing and price you are searching for..

[JRW87]

www.swanndri.co.nz

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[Schwert]

Thrift shops, surplus and Sierra Trading Post are all good.


STP had Swandri last year for blowout prices.

[gm42]

Sierra Trading Post

[nothinghead]

Goodwill for me.

If you don't mind paying new prices, I was just in the campmor store in Jersey and they have woolrich wool in stock too.

[Seeker]

..or found sites with ridiculous prices.

"Ridiculous?" Please be realistic. Wool is not synthetic. it grows on sheep, not trees, nor is it formed by machine into something that makes thread. it takes a year to grow, on an animal that needs care (unlike a pine tree that just grows on its own for 20 years). Shearing is still a hand-process... after that, yes, it gets mechanical.

if you want wearable (good quality, no itch) wool, it costs.

if you want cheap, stick to polypro fleece.

Good, Fast, Cheap. You can only pick two.

[Spearo]

I bought a Columbia wool jacket just like the one Dave Cantabury uses. It is bomb proof as he likes to say.
One advantage to wool is the camo aspect in that it does not have a sheen to it like many outdoor clothing, and it is quiet.

[PineMartyn]

I wear a lot of wool clothing (base layers, pants, shirts, sweaters, coats, hats, gloves and mittens) for snowshoeing, winter camping, and also for use in the shoulder seasons (late autumn & early spring).

However, I don't pay big bucks for my wool garments because I'm patient. There are two tricks to getting your woolens affordably:
1) Go to secondhand and discount stores such as Good Will, Salvation Army and Value Village. Do it regularly and you will eventually find what you're looking for. One visit won't do it.
2) Shop the 'end-of-season' sales. Stores that sell wool garments (such as Woolrich shirts and coats) often have terrific deals at the end of winter and in very early spring. You can often find a brand new garment for half or even less than half the price of a new one.

As Seeker rightly explained, wool is costly to produce. Just as importantly, there just is not a big market for wool clothing. People like clothing that is sleek, form-fitting, and make them look fashionable, athletic, and sexy. Wool clothes tend to look baggy and rustic, and so they don't appeal to as many people. Additionally, most people who buy winter garments today only need them for fair weather day trips that end with them in a warm chalet, vehicle or home. They don't need the insulating bulk, breathability, and fire-resistant qualities of wool that are so important when you're spending long days or nights in winter. Between the cost of raw wool and the much smaller market demand, manufacturers of wool garments can't exploit economies of scale to the same extent as makers of modern urban outdoor fashion clothing do.

The only way to get wool clothes cheaply is to be patient and get an article here and there from discount stores and end of season sales. If you're looking for them brand new right now, at this time of year, you're looking at the worst possible time of year and will pay the premium price. But in just a couple of months, you can buy the same garments for a fraction of the price.

Hope this helps,
- Martin