Le Bent Le Base layers, an ultra soft 200 weight merino/bamboo blend for fans of natural fabrics.
Confession: like many women, I have a tender spot for very soft fabrics. They’re usually the expensive variety, like cashmere sweaters, but last I checked it’s not really cool to wear cashmere while ski touring (that’s reserved for the Aspen après, right?). And so I look to other fabrics for my base layers, ones that wick well, dry quickly, look good and, of course, feel fabulous on my skin. Oh, and they should, God willing, not smell so bad after days of wear that I scare my ski partners away.
For such a simple layer, that’s a lot of responsibility.
Enter the Le Bent Le Base 200g Lightweight longsleeve crew and bottom. Le Bent combined the long celebrated merino wool with an unlikely partner, bamboo, to create their signature blend fabric. The result is Le Base, a lightweight base layer that claims to breathe, wick and repel odors like pure merino, without the itch some folks get from wool. If you’re like me, though, you might be thinking: wait. Bamboo? To wear? Yes.
The stalky plant is processed into a rayon thread that resembles the uber soft silky characteristics of cashmere and mimics moisture wicking and quick drying properties of merino. I got a chance to ski tour (and lounge) in them quite a bit this past winter. Here’s my take.
