1-Week Sweater Challenge: The Last Sweater You'll Ever Need

I spent an entire week wearing an OC sweater - here’s what happened.

Seasonal Capsules And Repeat Styles

Introducing a four-part blog series about wardrobe essentials worth splurging on, sustainable garments, and functional wardrobe capsules.

It's time for me to break out my seasonal wardrobe capsule and my essential layers.

Follow me as I enjoy my favorite activities and figure out how to enjoy a small but mighty capsule wardrobe.

• My 1-Week Challenge Experience
• My Autumn Capsule Wardrobe
• Capsules Don’t Have To Be Boring
• New Season, New Capsule

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Everybody has a weakness. When you go shopping, you likely notice that there’s one sort of garment you continue to shop for even when you already have a closet full of them.

My problem is sweaters. I have so many that buying new ones feels almost perverse. Even with my addiction, when Oliver Charles invited me to take the 1-week challenge, I had to take the opportunity.

My week wearing the Oliver Charles crew neck sweater eliminated all of the guilt I would typically feel about adding to my hoard of sweaters.

For several reasons, I believe I can safely donate a huge chunk of my collection. I have finally found a universal sweater to replace all the impulsive thrift-store flops that have not been touched for months - or years.

Discover how I fell in love with my Oliver Charles crew neck sweater and how I found a new, better way to enjoy my favorite garment.

Oliver Charles Sweater First Impressions

The packaging is so unique! I don’t think I’ve ever received a garment in a tube. It feels so luxurious for some reason.

Mr. Yak on the front is a charming touch and makes the container much too cute to be thrown away, so I think I’ll use it for storage or as a planter.

When I first opened up my sweater, I was pleasantly surprised at how soft it was.

My main concern going into this challenge was scratchiness since I’ve had this problem in the past with knitted woolen sweaters, but my Oliver Charles didn't irritate my skin. 

I also noticed that it was a quite thin light wool sweater which would make it the ideal layering piece.

The observations above are probably the result of the awesome soft sweater materials. It’s made from khullu, otherwise known as yak wool, and merino wool. 

A brief read taught me that both of those materials are soft, odor-resistant, thermoregulating, and durable.

They're basically the best materials for sweaters. That explains the great first impression!

Yak Wool Proved Comfortable For WFH

As usual, I didn’t move much during the workweek. I simply sat in front of my laptop. I lead a thrilling life. Monday to Wednesday were tests of comfort rather than sweat resistance or movement-friendliness.

That being said, this is definitely one of my most comfortable garments. It's truly a work from home wardrobe essential. It’s very soft and doesn’t cling to my skin.

Yet, my Oliver Charles sweater has a lovely shape to it and doesn’t look overly baggy or bulky. I believe this is because of the Wholegarment 3D-knitting they use.

My sweater fits me perfectly. Normally it can be a little difficult to find a well fitting sweater for a woman of my height (5’9).

The sleeves are long enough, and the sweater isn’t too short. We all love a good crop-top moment but I prefer full midriff coverage for lounging and that’s exactly what I got - even when I lifted my arms (this will be especially helpful when I go apple picking in autumn).

While I really enjoyed sitting around in my Oliver Charles sweater, I knew I planned to do a lot more in the upcoming days.

That’s when the real test began. Can my Oliver Charles sweater deal with my sweaty walk to the grocery store and my other errands? Let’s see!

Yak Wool Is Extra Breathable On Hot Days

I had lots to do today. First, my laundry, then a relatively long walk to my local grocery store.

There’s a heatwave in Ontario, so it was going to be a very sweaty walk. I was worried I might pass out and have to be carried home but thanks to my Oliver Charles sweater, though there was a lot of perspiring, I managed to stay as cool as I could be wearing a sweater under the scorching sun. My Oliver Charles didn’t get smelly either!

Surprised I hadn’t been burned to a crisp, when I got home it was onto some work tasks. Back to the couch!

Yak Wool Is Machine Washable!?

Though my sweater did a great job of keeping odor away, my Oliver Charles had suffered quite a bit of trauma from yesterday, and I was curious to see how it would fare in the washing machine.

I followed the care instructions found here on the Oliver Charles website. I was worried I might have to pay a dry cleaner but my sweater is 100% machine washable and I just had to leave it laying flat to dry.

It came out of the washing machine as good as new and ready to take on the rest of the week!

Wool Is Versatile For My On-The-Go Lifestyle

Today, I decided to go for a walk in the morning before it got too hot. My Oliver Charles sweater was the perfect companion. It kept me dry and odorless for my entire hour-long walk.

I also noticed how flexible my Oliver Charles  was. I wouldn’t usually reach for a sweater for exercise but I didn’t regret it this morning.

My Oliver Charles lightweight breathable sweater kept me cool, dry and provided freedom of movement.

Actually, it did a much better job of keeping me comfortable than a lot of my cheap workout gear.

Wife Me Up! 

It feels like I’m being so annoying by mentioning this, but oh well, I’m very happy about the news.

I recently got engaged! That means I want to brush up on my wifey skills (not because wives should cook. I just enjoy it myself and making someone a meal is my love language).

So today, my Oliver Charles  will be joining me in my hot, stuffy little kitchen to make one of my favorite meals -- Mexican- style rice. Yummy!

As I predicted, I got a little tomato paste on the sleeve of my OC. My sweater is light grey so I immediately panicked and cursed myself. I bolted to the sink, took some hand soap, and gently scrubbed the stain with some cold water.

I was relieved to see that it came out very easily and quickly.

As it has been for the past week, my Oliver Charles was comfortable and practical for daily wear, while I ran errands, worked, and relaxed on my couch.

I’m afraid it has many years of hard work to come because this sweater has become an extension of me. I love it!

My Capsule Wardrobe Gained A New Sweater

The 1-Week Challenge was enjoyable for me because I was able to spend seven whole days in my favorite sort of garment. However, I also learned that there are some changes I need to make to my wardrobe.

As I mentioned at the outset, I have a shocking amount of sweaters (I’m talking twenty plus), most of which I hardly wear!

If I only chose wisely and purchased sweaters such as the Oliver Charles  crew neck, I could see myself getting by with just three sweaters maximum.

I like to think that my clothing choices are sustainable, but having an excess of garments that go to waste just isn’t justifiable when there are high-quality, life-proof options like Oliver Charles sweaters.

If you believe that every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better, consider buying yourself an OLIVER CHARLES sweater.