Originally Posted by
STVA
I don't really understand how this stuff works. Your body is constantly producing sweat/oil/dead skin/smells, etc. No matter what material the clothing is made of, this stuff is touching the clothing. Unless your sweat is supposed to remain on your body (like imagine if you were wearing a garbage bag or some sort of rubbery material), it is going to get on the clothes. The clothes are going to be dirty.
If you can wash it, how is it any better than other material that can be washed? There are quick drying synthetic materials that are easy to wash and dry each wearing.
This sounds like marketing BS being used to sell expensive products.
There's probably a small grain of truth buried under a mountain of exaggeration. In the sports world there's still a bit of lore about wool being this magic fabric that wicks sweat and is odor-resistant and magically keeps a person warm but simultaneously keeps them cool. They are supplanted in effectiveness by well-engineered synthetics. It's evident by the obvious difference in market penetration.
I've got a bunch of wool garments as activewear for skiing, hiking, bicycling, and as well as normal clothing. I don't find them particularly standout, particularly in extreme conditions - high wind, high heat, high sweat, etc. The fit and color and weave and weight has a far bigger impact on the functionality of a garment than its material.
Like freecia said, if you dont sweat much, dont move around much, arent exposed to heat much, etc etc, you could get away without a wash. But likewise the same thing can be said of cotton or etc.
Practically speaking, based on experience, I dont actively seek out wool whether for socks or undergarments or sweaters. In fact I'll try to avoid it, except when used in blends. Pure wool are generally more fragile; prone to moth holes; have tendency to pill; easily distort or shrink; and more...