Your shirt is finest grade Merino. Don’t wash your mountain shirt, it deserves better. It won’t smell unless you spill something really nasty on it. If you do, spot cleaning works well.
Dry cleaning works and a cool iron is fine but we kind of like the way the shirt adapts its shape to fit yours over the months and years.
For a quick and easy refresh just hang it out in the fresh air or in a steamy bathroom.
Pilling is inevitable. You’ll notice that this happens quite a bit at first and then everything settles down. It will especially pill where there’s friction, like rucksack contact areas. If you would like to tidy this up, simply use a wool comb and gently brush away the bobbles. Again dry cleaning and a cool iron will bring your shirt back to fresh and smooth.
If you look after your shirt properly, it will give many, many years of tough use.
Our possibly rather highfalutin aim is that this shirt is part of your journey. And that, if you get the time, you will let us know about some of the big moments you have shared.
Perhaps we are all becoming part of a community of people equally committed to making things slowly and making them to last.
Also, if you only do one thing with your McNair Shirt, take it to the mountains. Otherwise it will start to itch.