Wash cold
30 °C or below, wool or delicate cycle. Hot water is what felts wool, not agitation.
Support
Questions, sizing and care.
Everything below is the answer we would give you on the phone. If yours is not here, email crew@truenorthmerino.com — a person replies, usually within a day.
The product
Does merino wool underwear itch?
Not at this grade. The itch response is triggered by fibres coarser than roughly 22 microns — they are stiff enough to press on nerve endings in skin. Our fleece is 17.5 microns, from the top 2% of the Australian clip, and it bends on contact instead. That is the whole difference between wool you tolerate and wool you forget about. If it itches, return it within 90 nights, no explanation needed.
How does it stay fresh?
Body odour is not sweat — it is what bacteria produce after they metabolise sweat on a surface. Merino's keratin structure absorbs moisture into the fibre, away from the surface those bacteria need, and binds the volatile acids that carry odour. That is why wool stays fresh where cotton and polyester turn sour.
Even so, we recommend washing daily for optimal hygiene. Fine merino is naturally durable: it retains its softness, shape and performance wash after wash, and our core-spun construction is built for exactly that routine. Cold wash, no softener, line dry.
Will it show through a uniform?
No. The waistband is 32 mm covered elastic with a jacquard logo rather than a raised rubber band, and the side seams are offset and flat-locked, so there is no ridge to print through fitted uniform trousers.
If you want the lowest possible profile, the Rotation Brief is the one — 180 gsm instead of 195, cut higher on the leg, with a 28 mm waistband that disappears entirely.
Why does one pair cost $68?
About half of it is fibre. 17.5-micron non-mulesed RWS merino, contracted two seasons ahead at a fixed floor price, costs several times what commodity 21-micron wool does. The rest is core-spun yarn construction and Portuguese knitting and sewing.
The arithmetic that matters is cost per wear. A $15 cotton pair gets washed after every wear and is finished within a year. These get worn four to five times per wash and last several years — which lands them below the cotton pair, before you count the space they free in your bag.
Is the wool mulesed?
No. All four of our source stations are certified non-mulesed and accredited to the Responsible Wool Standard, which covers animal welfare and land management across the full lifecycle rather than just the shearing shed. Station names and season data are on the sourcing page.
Do you make women's cuts?
The Longhaul Compression Sock is unisex and sized by shoe size. A women's brief is in panel testing with cabin crew and first officers now. Join the notification list on the Our Story page and we will tell you when it lands.
Sizing
Order your usual size.
TRUE NORTH runs true to standard US sizing. Merino relaxes slightly over the first two wears and returns to shape in the wash, so do not size up in anticipation. Between sizes and long-haul? Take the larger one.
| Size | Waist (in) | Waist (cm) | Hip (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 28–30 | 71–76 | 33–35 |
| S | 30–32 | 76–81 | 35–37 |
| M | 32–34 | 81–86 | 37–39 |
| L | 34–36 | 86–91 | 39–41 |
| XL | 36–39 | 91–99 | 41–44 |
| 2XL | 39–42 | 99–107 | 44–47 |
| 3XL | 42–45 | 107–114 | 47–50 |
Measure at the natural waistline, not at the trouser line. Sock sizes: S (US 5–7), M (7.5–9.5), L (10–12), XL (12.5–14).
Care
Made to survive hotel laundry.
No softener
Fabric softener coats the fibre and kills the moisture management that you paid for.
Line dry
Hot tumble drying is the number one cause of shrinkage. Merino air-dries fast anyway — hang it in the hotel bathroom overnight.
Air between wears
Hang it out, do not stuff it back in the bag. Eight hours in open air resets the garment.
Shipping, returns and the crew programme
How fast do you ship, and do you ship to crew hotels?
Two to four business days within the US, EU, UK, UAE, Singapore and Australia; five to nine elsewhere. Free above $180, with duties prepaid to 40 countries so nothing gets held at customs while you are down-route. We do ship to crew hotels and airline mailrooms — put your arrival date in the order notes and we will time dispatch to it.
What is the return policy?
Ninety nights. Fly a full rotation in them, wash them, wear them again. If they are not right, request a prepaid label and we refund in full including your original shipping. Returned garments are laundered and donated to crew welfare programmes rather than resold.
What does the warranty cover?
One year against seam failure and waistband elastic failure, replaced without argument. Normal wear-through of the fabric itself is not covered — that is the garment doing its job, not a defect.
How do I get the 15% flight-crew discount?
Email a company ID, licence or crew-scheduling screenshot to crew@truenorthmerino.com. A person reviews it, usually within a day, and the discount attaches to your account permanently. It applies to pilots, cabin crew, dispatchers, engineers and controllers, and it stacks with bundle pricing. Fleet orders of ten units or more get separate terms — just ask.
Do you restock, or is it limited?
We buy to the clip rather than to demand, so sizes do sell out between runs — typically M and L first. The notification list on the Our Story page is the only reliable way to know when the next production run lands.
Still deciding?
Buy one pair. Fly a rotation. Ninety nights to change your mind, and we pay the return either way.