Wool Shirts

What Kind of Wool Does Filson Use in Its Shirts?

Filson makes many types of wool shirts, from knitted merino wool base-layer shirts to button-fronts made with woven Shetland wool to heavy overshirts made with Mackinaw Wool. Whether knitted or woven, buttoning or pullover, all Filson wool shirts are durable and warm, even if they get wet.

Filson merino wool is ideal for wearing next-to-skin due to its non-scratchy, ultrafine fibers. Shetland wool, from sheep raised in Scotland’s Shetland Islands, excels at providing breathable warmth that is unusually durable and soft at the same time. The Mackinaw Wool used in Filson overshirts is exceptionally warm and durable, often getting handed down through generations.

Why is Wool Good for Making Shirts?

Wool is an outstanding fabric for shirts due to its breathability and moisture-wicking properties. If you get caught in rain without a coat, a wool shirt can continue to insulate even if it gets wet. Wool’s unique fiber structure allows it to absorb up to 30% of its own weight in water, without feeling damp or clammy. No other material can provide comfort in the wide range of conditions that wool can.

Filson's History with Wool

Filson was founded as a manufacturer of woolen blankets and coats in 1897 to equip prospectors bound for the Klondike Gold Rush. In that brutal weather, quality clothing and gear could determine one’s very survival, and Filson goods were widely regarded as the best obtainable. Filson wool clothing has been the top choice of foresters, sportsmen, and even the U.S. Forest Service ever since.

How to Care for Wool

Filson wool shirts should only be dry cleaned. One of the many benefits of wool is that it requires infrequent cleaning. Wool naturally releases odors, and most dirt simply brushes off when it’s dried.