Review: Chocolate Fish Merino

One of the great things about being on Twitter is that you can have direct contact with outdoor clothing manufacturers, and this is how I met Amanda from Chocolate Fish Merino. Amanda is the friendly face of a small company specialising in Merino baselayers, with genuine interest in other Tweeters and the world at large.

A couple of months ago she sent me a Taranaki 190 Merino Long Sleeve Crew T-Shirt in a lovely royal (cobalt) blue colour. She explained it was a returned item and didn't have the labels on it but she washed it and sent it over to me to try out and write about. April's mini Summer (I really do hope it wasn't the UK's only one) meant that I didn't really get chance to wear it much to do a decent test and review. Not put off by this, Amanda in the meantime sent me a Women's T-Shirt in black and a Women's Taranaki 190 Merino Cami in a nice dark red / burgundy colour. From a disclaimer point of view I will declare that I have received all 3 items FOC with the purpose of review, but if you've read other reviews I've carried out I think you will know I write pretty frankly! Now that I've had chance to wear all three I thought it was time for you to read my thoughts!

Starting off with the Women's T-Shirt, out of the wrapper I was immediately struck by the quality of the fabric. All 3 Chocolate Fish Merino products I have are of 190gsm weight material, so aren't quite directly comparable with the 3 Icebreaker products I've mentioned on this blog in the past, those being either 150 or 200gsm. What set the Women's T apart for me, right from the off, was the weave of the fabric and the cut of this T. The scoop neck isn't cut high so is a little more flattering than many (including the Long Sleeved Crew), but it's not so low as to feel draughty on the hills. The cut is tailored to a female figure rather than a man's or unisex product, so is flattering to wear, plus the length is long enough for me at 5 ft 9ins, a big issue when it isn't long enough, but not an issue if it is! The top is comfortable, the weave of the jersey knit feels soft but it has a robustness about it which I've noticed means it keeps it's shape well after numerous washings.
I've worn this on more than a few outings now, on the hills, casual evening walks and also to work and to the gym. I would even wear it on a night out (but that's just me!). It costs £44.95 which I would baulk at frankly if I only felt it suitable for the outdoors, but because of it's high utility I would feel much more comfortable in buying this knowing I could get a lot of wear out of it in a lot of different situations. (Thinking about it, the quality reminds me of how Marks & Sparks used to be viewed in the old days; you pay for what you get!) In fact it's a regular feature as much as part of my working wardrobe and out hiking. I personally am not that keen on labelling clothing as 'technical' but this does do all that you'd expect of a merino baselayer, wicking my effort away efficiently, not feeling clammy or damp. I think it's safe to say if you meet me on the hills this summer you'll likely see me in it!

The Long Sleeve Crew is another great product, the neck cut higher and therefore feels closer than the Women's T. The arms are a great length for me, being a unisex product, so may not be great for more petite women. The body length is quite long too which means I am happy when it's cold that it covers my back, in fact it covers half of my bum too. This is definitely the T I wear when it's pretty cool outside, whereas I like the Women's T for when the weather is a tad warmer even if windy (I would wear either with a windshirt if it's windy). I wonder what the L/S Crew's lower threshold will be, though I've found doubling up with a S/S T over a L/S T gives me a lot of flex in layering. The LS Crew is on offer at the time of writing at £49.95 instead of the usual £54.95 so I would say grab one for the cooler weather now!

The Cami is something a little different, and only for the ladies! It has spaghetti straps but because of the weight of the fabric it doesn't make you feel quite so at risk of 'exposure' that lighter weight fabrics can do. It's also constructed using panels of fabric which gives more support. It feels great on, like a second, supportive skin, but again, one of the great things about this is that, in a rather old fashioned way maybe, it can obviously be used as a vest too. This is very much at the outer limit of my budget at £34.95, and for the utility value I would probably rather buy a Women's T at a tenner more, but for those on not so tight a budget or as a present it is a really nice item, especially if we were to get something akin to a summer...For those looking for a cami top for a travel wardrobe in warmer climes I would definitely recommend this; for the UK weather I would want more shoulder coverage personally! (Hopefully that will provoke the UK weather to produce some sun...)

Trying not to repeat myself, all products use the same 190 gsm fabric and, as with all the merino products I've worn to date, the stink factor is pretty limited if at all, even after being subjected to being worn to work and then to the gym, or just simple consecutive daily (and nightly) wear for days at a time. I've found all three to wash really well, dry reasonably fast, wick sweat really well (unless it's trickling down my back which does happen at the gym but that's a different test!) and none are bulky.
What sets these apart for me is the utility value meaning I would get more wear for my £, so while on paper they look a little expensive (though not really compared to other merino products), they are so wearable that I am more likely to wear them in my day to day life as well. I think these are products that will last a good few years wear so for me these would definitely be a worthwhile, sustainable purchase.