Patagonia Merino II Dress Review
Patagonia’s Merino II Dress has been on camping trips, to family gatherings, neighborhood bbq’s, and packed in a backpack for multiple airline trips. As Patagonia says, this dress is soft, comfortable, and ready for anything. So far, I couldn’t agree more.
The Merino II has a recycled polyester core made from soda bottles. The remainder of the dress is made from 100% chlorine free merino wool. Best of all, when you are done with this dress, which won’t be anytime soon, you can recycle the garment through Patagonia’s Common Threads Recycling Program.
Together, the polyester and wool provide just the right mix of moisture management, stretch, and style. The Merino II has a sleeveless A-line cut with wide shoulder straps for adequate coverage. The dress hits me right above the knee and I am 5’9”; a size medium has a 35” length. The back of the dress has a small gathering of fabric to create a flowing-feminine fit. The front provides plenty of coverage to avoid looking to revealing, but has small gathering detail once again. I wear a “B” cup bra and felt that the chest area fit perfectly and wasn’t overly baggy, which seems like a problem in many summer dresses this season. For those larger busted gals, don’t fret, the fabric is super soft and stretchy and flatters all cup sizes. My friend, who recently had a baby, put the dress on and said it felt very comfy in the top area! And if that isn’t enough, the dress has flattened seams that don’t rub under the arms or dig in anywhere. Patagonia states that it has a “slim fit”, I have worn the Margot and Netty Dress, also by Patagonia, and wore small (or size 4) in each of those and felt if anything the Merino II was a tad roomier because of the flowing fabric.
I love all of my Merino II products, and this dress has already found a place in my pack for this summers’ adventures. I have been wearing the Merino II in hot and muggy IL for a week straight and am happy to say that it hasn’t started to smell fishy despite riding my bike around town, walking the dog, and doing yard chores around the house in temps reaching the mid 90’s with the humidity ramped up as well. After doing the above activities, I have worn the dress to dinner and my family and friends have had nothing but compliments to say about the dress. When it is finally time for you to wash your dress, caring for the Merino II is super easy. Machine or hand wash cold and lay flat to dry. Which means, you can easily take your Merino II on any adventure and wash it in your hotel sink or at your campsite with the cook pot, solar shower, or water pump.
AS you can see, the Merino II is a great companion for any outdoorsy gal or for someone that loves to travel light. I tested out the dress in black, but have been secretly eyeing the Furion Sunset, or orangey color pictured above. For more information about this fantastic dress, please visit Patagonia.com
MSRP $99
• Slow-washed merino wool resists odor naturally, insulates even when wet, is durable and stretches, provides superior performance and softness
• 18.5 micron-gauge yarn and jersey-knit construction for luxurious hand
• All-recycled polyester core wicks moisture, while wool next to skin controls odor
• A-line silhouette is sleeveless with wide straps for coverage
• Gathers at center front and center back for fullness and flattering shape
• High point shoulder-to-hem (size M) 35″; hits just above knee
• Machine-wash cold, lay flat to dry
