I’ve been looking for a versatile “little black dress” for a while now. You know, a dress you can wear to dinner, the store, or even chilling at home. No frills, just a classic, comfy piece. Something with a flattering, well-designed cut.
And I think I’ve found what I’m looking for.
I stumbled across the Woolly Midi Dress on sale. Like the savvy shopper I am, I figured I’d order one and give you a full-scale review! While I have plenty of Merino wool clothes in the closet, I haven’t tried anything from Woolly. My husband has their Longhaul Pants and gave them the seal of approval.
Now it’s my turn to see what Woolly is made of (besides Merino wool, of course). I’ll detail my initial thoughts, go through three days of wear, and even run it through the laundry! Finally, I’ll provide some insights into what I learned along the way.
And if you like what you read, you may want to grab a Woolly Midi Dress for yourself!
Disclosure: Merino Wool Gear DOES NOT sponsor products to maintain our genuineness and authenticity. However, as an affiliate member, we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Initial Thoughts
When I opened the package, I was very impressed with the fabric. Of course, Merino wool is known for its softness. Still, the material felt even softer than my other Merino wool clothes. I know it will feel pleasant against my skin.
As I tried the dress on, I fell in love with the cut, especially the neckline and arm line. I don’t like deep neck cuts as I am not an owner of a big chest and sometimes have an issue with my bra showing if the dress/shirt is too open. But this dress is shallow enough and offers plenty of coverage.
I have to say that the material is very stretchy, so if you have more of a curvy body type, it definitely will work for you too. Although, one part of the cut is bothering me: the seams along the hip line.
I am pretty slim with no prominent curves, and I feel that some extra fabric hangs off my hips. That’s because both the top layer of the dress and the underlay have the same seam type, making my hips look wider. It might look better if the seams were done as bound seams instead of flatlock seams.
In my opinion, the side seams could have been excluded since stitching is already down the back. Although, I’m not a professional clothing designer. It does not spoil my initial impressions of the dress; it’s just me being picky. Probably from a desire for a perfect wardrobe that I can wear for years and years.
Product Info & Features
“Your go-to for laid back or stylish occasions, our Everyday Weight Midi Dress has you covered with warm 200 gsm comfort and a 150 gsm breathable liner.
Great For Weekends, a nice dinner, working from home, out with friends.” – Woolly Product Page
And they are absolutely right. This dress is so versatile that you can make it work for nearly any occasion with proper accessories. It is exceptionally comfortable, too. It didn’t itch when I tried it on, and there were no tags that would bother you.
Overall, this dress feels like a second skin, and you may even forget you’re wearing anything at all! Still, I would love to see more rich color options in the future. Maybe shades of olive or burgundy so all the pet hair attracted to the fabric isn’t as noticeable.
But I’m getting way ahead of myself. I haven’t even worn it for more than a few hours yet!
Three-Day Wear Test
If you have read any of your Merino wool reviews before, you’ll know we put this gear through the wringer. By chronicling the daily wear, we can better stand behind our claims and provide you with better information.
And while I’ve seen people test out Merino wool dresses for up to 100 days, I think three days of wear will help you get a better picture of how you will wear this dress.
Day 1
The first time I wore the dress was at dinner with my family. I wanted to see how I could dress it up and how confident I felt (since this is a big part of my wardrobe selection process).
It was a pretty hot day for May, about 78 degrees F. We decided to walk to the restaurant, and even though the dress was black and 200 gsm, I was not hot at all. I definitely liked how the fabric regulated my body temperature. Honestly, it felt breathable, especially whenever a light breeze came through.
While we ate dinner, the dress was comfortable to sit in. The liner held everything in place, just as it should! Nothing was too tight, uncomfortable, or hiking up.
After dinner (and a couple of glasses of wine), I was not disappointed with the chosen outfit for the night. I felt confident with such a simple get-up.
And I don’t always say this about myself, but I looked good.
Day 2
I’ve got to be honest; I did not wear the dress for three days straight. The majority of my time is spent chasing after my toddler. So, I don’t have many opportunities to “dress up.” But, for the sake of this review, I threw on this dress for a doctor’s appointment. Moreover, I had to run errands around town afterward.
It was a chillier day, so I put on my leather jacket over the dress with a pair of white sneakers to create more of a casual look. The whole day I felt as comfortable as possible while also looking stylish.
As I mentioned, the material regulated my body temperature well, even during moderate temperatures. It keeps you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cold. That is, as long as you layer up as I did.
Day 3
Last day I decided to give the dress a “hardcore” test: wear it around the house.
I played on the floor with my son, did some light cleaning around the house, and binged Netflix on the couch after my son finally took a nap.
The only issue I faced was the dog’s hair, which my dress was fully covered in. Usually, you can remove some hair just with your hands, but it was a lot more than I expected. So if you are a pet owner, you should get some lint rollers in bulk.
Laundry Test
As you may know, Merino wool is a rather delicate fabric, so laundering this dress was a little nerve-racking. I truly liked everything about it so far, but if it wasn’t going to hold up in the wash, I couldn’t give it my seal of approval.
So, after three days of wear, I followed the laundry instructions to the letter. Below is what is printed on the dress.
- Machine wash cold with like colors.
- Wash inside-out.
- Tumble dry low.
- Non-chlorine bleach.
- No iron.
- Do not dry clean.
Note: I typically don’t dry Merino wool in the dryer, as hang drying or flat drying preserves the fabric longer. However, as this test is meant to test Woolly’s claims, I did follow the instructions strictly.
After running it through the wash, you can see some slight pilling (the little fuzzies on the right above), but nothing major. Yet, this shouldn’t raise any flags as this is natural with Merino wool clothing. In fact, it actually makes the fabric stronger when those loose fibers pill out. Moreover, the color did not fade and still has a deep, rich tone of black.
Overall, with my Merino wool experience, I can genuinely say that I’m confident in the fabric’s durability. The slight pilling is expected, and I’m glad the dryer did not warp the fit. However, I’ll probably be sticking to air-drying this dress in the future.
You can check out our comprehensive care guide if you want more instructions on how to launder your Merino wool clothing.
What I Liked
After three days of wear and a load of laundry, I’m ready to give my final opinion.
I truly love this dress and think it is an excellent addition to my capsule wardrobe. I am also a big supporter of the sustainability movement in the fashion industry, so wearing Merino wool just makes sense! I can use it for years, and it will never go out of style.
- Unique Fit: The dress design hugs my curves without any discomfort.
- Stay-Put Liner: No fabric bunching or ride-up as the liner held everything in place.
- Comfy Fabric: No itching or irritation. Plus, the material held up well in the wash.
- Versatile Design: I could wear this dress in almost any situation.
Areas To Improve
As I said before, I like this dress a lot, but I’m a picky person. So, there are a few areas that I think could use some improvement.
That’s not to say these issues are deal-breakers but must be stated so that you can make better shopping decisions.
- Hip Seam Construction: Double stitching can sometimes make your hips look wider.
- Color Options:Â Currently only in black. I wish more vibrant colors were available.
- Pet Hair Attraction:Â The black color made pet hair obvious, which is standard with Merino clothing.
Final Thoughts
To me, the pros outweigh the cons, so I’m giving this Woolly Midi Dress my seal of approval.
This “little black dress” is so simple yet stylish that it will look appropriate whether you are going to the doctor’s office or going out with your friends. If you take care of it properly, it will serve you for years.
And I think every woman has to own one black dress, especially such a versatile one.
And there you have it: the Woolly Midi Woolly Dress review. I genuinely hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I loved testing it.
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