u/Static_Hands

I wanted to do a briefer review than usual on Dreamspun, in part since there are already 2 other reviews on the fabric (nicky’s review, luddace’s review). I’ve tried it in the boxy Cut Two and the experimental Halfdome forms, and I’m honestly surprised it doesn’t seem to be selling that well; it’s my favorite new fabric of 2026 barring a standout winter release. I tend to like Outlier’s wool offerings, and this is no exception. 

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FABRIC
Dreamspun is a 110gsm, 79% 16.5 micron merino and 21% nylon blend. Lightweight, mostly wool, and blended with a bit of nylon for strength. 

Being 110gsm it’s fairly thin, though I haven’t had any durability issues over the months I’ve had it. No rips, tears, pills, etc. I haven’t felt too concerned about it either. I’ve no idea what betaspinning is, but it does the job of keeping it light and relatively durable without needing to be so tightly knit like Dreamweight. The fine merino keeps it feeling nice and soft on the skin, and it drapes nicely as well. 

The fabric works pretty well even in warmer temperatures. I’ve worn it well up into the 80s and still been comfortable, with the wool keeping me dry and resisting odor pretty well even across multiple wears. Probably fine even in the lower 90s depending on humidity. It’s like a merino Nycogaze. 

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COMPARISONS (Nycogaze, Daydry, Dreamweight)
For the truly hot, I’d probably go with Nycogaze first, but this is a very solid fabric for warmer and transitional weather. It may not be quite as light as Nycogaze or breathable as Ramielust, but it easily feels the nicest of the 3. Plus, the UPF is significantly higher at 40 for Black and 25 for Dust Olive. Even when it cools down it should make for a solid base layer. As someone who tends to run warm, I’ll keep wearing this and Nycogaze until the heat breaks, then mostly this and Daydry till it gets cold. 

Daydry is a decent bit thicker (150gsm, 36%), fine if it's warmer but something that I don’t really reach for during summer. You could think of Dreamspun as a lighter Daydry/Sportweight, though with nylon instead of poly. From hot to cool, it’s Nyco > Dreamspun > Daydry for me.

I know this is more of a Dreamweight replacement, but I don’t own any anymore. Dreamspun is what I wanted Dreamweight to be, a lightweight warmer weather merino. Dreamweight was very tightly knit, so even though it was the same weight it wore warmer and breathed much more poorly. Abe goes into more detail here. I never quite liked it, so if you felt similarly maybe give Dreamspun a shot. The nylon content is also only 21%, essentially just 1/5th, versus Dreamweight’s 25%, so it has a bit more wooly goodness to it. 

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FORM/SIZING
Cut Two is the standard slightly boxy tee cut. Some people said that their usual sizes didn’t work, but I felt fine with my typical medium C2 at 5'9” (175cm). It looks like it does run just a bit smaller than the same size UFT C2, but it’s also preshrunk. As always, compare measurements with your favorite fitting shirt and size accordingly. I’m sure I could’ve been happy with an L too, so size up if you tend to prefer looser fits. 

My usual size M also worked for the Halfdome. The hood fit fine as well, snug as intended but not tight. 

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COLLAR & HEMS
The one demerit I can give to this fabric is for the collar/hems. Now, it doesn’t seem like the issue is universal; some people have reported little to no waviness, but plenty of others including myself have found their Dreamspun’s edges growing quite wavy after washing. My C2 came out similar to this after a cold wash. 

It bothered me at first, but I honestly don’t care that much after wearing it more. If that’s a deal-breaker for you, I can understand, but it isn’t that bad when worn IMO (see luddace’s photos near the bottom).  Plus, I think it kinda smoothens itself out a bit with a little wear. Looking at my C2 now after a couple days of use, it has a fraction of the waviness it did out of the wash.

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CONCLUSION
Overall, this is one of my favorite recent releases from Outlier. It holds up well for day-to-day wear, travel, and I’ve even used it as a sleeping shirt. I also love the Dust Olive colorway (in Strongliders too). If you’re looking for something great for warmer weather wear that comes with natural odor-resistance, sweat wicking for a dry body climate, a soft touch, nice drape, and that can still handle daily activities and a laundry cycle, then Dreamspun is a great fabric for you. Outlier has a pretty good return system, so you can try on and even launder it and still return if you don’t end up liking it.

If anyone here has any questions they’ve been considering before trying it, I’ll do my best to answer. I’ll add fitpics at some point too. Unfortunately I no longer own any Dreamweight, otherwise I would record a video of myself poking at it with a butter knife while wearing my Dreamspun. 

https://outlier.nyc/collections/shirts/dreamspun-merino-cut-two-t-shirt
https://outlier.nyc/collections/shirts/dreamspun-merino-halfdome