Why I set up yes merino (and why merino wool makes sense in the UK)

If you’ve found your way here, you might be wondering why someone would build a whole business around merino wool. Fair question!

The short answer is: I couldn’t find what I had been looking for for years in the UK, and I knew how good merino wool clothing could be in everyday life. I wanted to share the merino wool love! It's comfortable, durable and the best for babies. My family and I wear it most days in the UK's changeable weather and environments - so why was it so hard to find good quality merino wool clothing in the UK?

The problem with finding merino wool clothing in the UK

I’m from New Zealand, where merino wool is just… normal. You grow up with it. It doesn't need explaining. It's part of the vocabulary and culture. Babies are gifted it always, they wear it daily, kids thrash it and adults layer it, and it’s part of everyday life without much thought. It's even specified as recommended by the leading authority for babies and children, Plunket.

When I moved to the UK, I was surprised by how difficult it was to find good merino wool clothing. 

• It was spread across different brands - I couldn't buy a merino baby gift and myself a merino top in the same place
• Hard to compare or get information about
• Often expensive, the wide range wasn't available as it was in NZ

At the same time, most clothing, especially winter tops, were made almost entirely from synthetic fibres. I'd step in to a department store in October and be very aware of how much of a fire risk I was standing in!

I kept thinking: Why is it so hard to find natural, practical clothing here?

Why merino wool is so useful for babies and everyday wear

Then I had my son, and like most parents, I suddenly cared much more about what clothes were actually made of. In truth, over the years I'd given in to a lot of the synthetic winter clothing options and fast fashion and I hadn't realised. It was all that was really available.

I also realised how confusing it all is.

• What should a baby wear to sleep in the UK with such great heating?
• How do you dress a baby for changing temperatures out and about?
• What fabrics are actually best for sensitive skin?
• Why do department stores only stock cotton and synthetic fibres for babies?

There’s a lot of advice, but not much that feels simple or practical.

I kept coming back to merino wool because I already knew how well it works.

Merino is:

• warm and breathable so babies won't overheat (this is a superpower!)
• temperature regulating, supporting babies as they develop thermoregulation
• soft on sensitive or eczema-prone skin
• naturally antibacterial and odour-resistant

Most importantly, it makes day-to-day dressing easier.

But again, in the UK, it wasn’t obvious or very accessible. I ordered some online from Europe and received loads from friends and family from New Zealand - new and used. I made it work for my son and talked to other Kiwi mums in the UK who were doing the same. It seemed mad!

My background in textiles (and why that matters)

Before all of this, I studied clothing and textile science and grew up in the clothing industry. Oh and we had pet orphan lambs in the rural community I grew up in too!

So I’ve always looked at clothing differently - not just how it looks, but:

• what it’s made from and how it's made
• how it performs and lasts
• whether it actually does what it says
• whether it's massively overpriced based on all of that

I’m not claiming to be the world expert, but I do understand enough to cut through a lot of the marketing and confusion around fabrics and the fashion industry.

And honestly, a lot of clothing - especially baby clothing - could be so much better.

The gap: simple, practical merino wool in one place

I realised the gap wasn’t necessarily for more products. 

It was for:

• better curation of merino wool brands in one place
• an introduction of merino wool - so many didn't know about it at all
• clearer, more honest explanations
• a simpler way to use merino in everyday life

It was in understanding and availability. Wool in the UK was widely understood to be itchy, smelly, expensive and too easy to shrink. Merino wool is very different and with better information and range of options, I knew people in the UK would love it as much as Kiwis (and so many other cultures around the world!)

Why I created yes merino

yes merino is a UK-based store that stocks merino wool clothing brands, focused on making merino wool clothing easier to find, understand and use.

The aim is simple:

• bring together high-quality merino wool brands that I know and love
• make it easier to shop for babies, children and adults - we are the only place I know you can get merino for all in the UK
• explain things clearly without overcomplicating them and help the UK fall in love with merino wool 

I focus a lot on babies and young children because that’s often where people start, especially when thinking about sleep, comfort and sensitive skin. And because it's so sadly not known about when it is scientifically proven to support babies thermoregulation, improve their quality of sleep and help them put on weight. It's the real deal when parents are fed so much confusing information and gimmicks!

But merino wool isn’t just for one stage, it works for all ages and stages in everyday life.

Natural fibres, without the overwhelm

If you’re starting to think more about natural fibres, you’re not alone. More people in the UK are beginning to question:

• synthetic materials
• microplastics
• what clothing is actually made from
• what happens to clothing after we stop wearing it

But it can quickly feel like too much information. You don’t need to overhaul everything. You don’t need to become an expert in fabrics.

Just start with one or two pieces of merino and see how it works for you. 

What I care about (and what I don’t)

I care about:

• clothing that is comfortable and good quality
• natural fibres that are better for us and the planet
• helping parents make practical, informed choices and giving peace of mind from that

I don’t want to:

• push products for the sake of it - I have to believe in them
• overcomplicate things for people
• make anyone feel like they’ve done anything wrong - progress over perfection!

A simpler way to use merino wool in the UK

yes merino exists because I knew there was a simpler, more practical way to learn about and find a range of merino wool clothing for everyday life and I couldn’t find it in the UK.

So I built it.

If you learn something or it helps make things a bit easier for you, then it’s doing its job.