THE BEST BASIC TEE I’VE EVER WORN? | ISOBAA MERINO

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Isobaa a few times over the last year or more, and all of their gear has been great – excellent quality, nicely made, well fitting, and washes well. But this basic tee, what can I say, is possibly the best tee I’ve ever owned.

I was wearing this the other day when mooching in a local outdoors shop, and the shop assistant commented how nice the tee was and asked about how I’m finding the merino… Naturally I gave her a rave review, and I was inspired to do the same here on Splodz Blogz. In fact, I’ve been wearing this tee on an almost daily basis since I received it a few weeks ago, it became a firm favourite as soon as I opened the paper and cardboard package it arrived in, and it seems only right that I let you know about that.

The short version of this post is that this Merino 150 Tee is just perfect.

The cut and fit, the colour and design, and of course the top quality material. It’s been especially good in the recent heatwave, and for camping trips where I’ve found I haven’t need to wear the spare tee I packed – the promise of moisture wicking and odour control properties is real.

Isobaa Merino

Isobaa make merino wool clothing designed to be versatile, comfortable, and that can keep up, whether you’re hiking in the hills or mucking about in the garden. All made from properly and ethically sourced good quality wool.

Merino clothing is fabulous. A good quality merino piece will keep you warm when it’s cold and breathes well when the sun is blazing, keeping you comfortable whatever the weather. It’s also quick drying, naturally odour resistant, natural and sustainable, ideal for any travel or outdoors packing list. 

I’ve got a selection of items from the range, all gifted over the last couple of years, including my very well-worn Merino Crew Sweater and Merino 180 Long Sleeve Crew, which both made it into my Motorcycle Road Trip packing list. I’ve also got a pair of their Merino Blend Trainers, which are so light and comfortable for summer walks I hope they never wear out. As you can see, I’m already a fan of the company, their clothing is great, and their ethics also fit very nicely with my own.

Isobaa might be expensive, you’re not going to pick it up in Primark, but you get what you pay for in terms of fabric, fit, quality and sustainability.

And so, when I received the tee that is the subject of this review, along with a pair of their Merino 200 Shorts (which I wrote about in Weekly Blog Episode 78), I knew I was in for a treat.

Getting the Basics Right

Over the last couple of years, I have been consciously working on getting the basics right, so that I can pack less and wear more… this isn’t about chucking away stuff I already own and relaxing it, but is about replacing those things – when they wear out or are no longer useful to me – with better options.

But it’s so hard to get the basics right. And how do you know when something is spot on? I don’t know how many tees I’ve bought that have been “just okay”. Admittedly, I’ve never spent £60 on a tee, and I wouldn’t have wanted to if I hadn’t had this opportunity to try one out first (a very important point about being in my fortunate position where I’m sent gear to try out). I guess that’s why it is important that I let you know how much I like this one. I mean, here I am, dedicating a blog post to what is essentially a pretty basic t-shirt.

What Makes it the Best?

First up, the tee just fits. I’ve got the size large, which is just right for my size 10-12 torso (including my pandemic belly), and flows over my curvy bits without clinging. It isn’t particularly fitted, which is always my preference.

It’s got a crew neck which sits in just the right place on my neck, and the sleeves are slightly longer than standard which I really like. It is almost like they measured my body and made me a tee just for me.

Apart from looking what I would consider to be as a tee should look, this cut also means it is comfortable for wearing with a pack on my back without needing to constantly adjust the tee so the straps are on the material instead of my skin.

The colour and sheep logo design are pretty nice, too. The lime green is bright and cheerful, and the sheep logo design is cute.

So that’s the cut and fit. The other very important thing that makes this my favourite basic tee, is the material.

The best thing about merino as a material is that it is naturally moisture wicking and odour resistant. You can, and I have, wear this tee for several days in a row without worrying about it looking and smelling like you’ve been wearing it for several days. I’ve been on two long weekend camping trips since I got this tee and both times have brought the spare tee I packed home unworn. Which is quite the review.

A Good Investment

It’s not cheap, not at all. At £60 it’s a real investment (mine was very kindly gifted), and so I’ve been very careful to look after it properly by washing it as little as possible and to the provided instructions. For that price it really ought to be a fantastic t-shirt, and it is.

I definitely want another couple of the other designs in this particular style to make a little Isobaa basic tee collection, and am hoping there will be a good sale at the end of the season to help me out with that.

There is one very important thing here, of course. And that is, this basic tee is perfect – for me. Maybe you prefer a tighter fit. Maybe you prefer a v-neck. Maybe you prefer no sleeves. Maybe you don’t wear wool. Maybe there are other things that would make you dedicate a blog post to a lime green t-shirt.

But for me, the Isobaa Merino 150 Tee is perfect.

I’ll let you know if I ever change my mind.

Thanks to Isobaa for continuing to help me build my collection of superb basics with this wardrobe staple. I think you’re really onto something.