FAQs

NOIR clothes care generally

Please take good care of NOIR clothes to help extend their useful life. All specific care instructions can be found on the garment tag when you receive your purchase but here's some more information, should you need it:

Merino second skin care

Merino must be treated with care. Machine wash on a gentle 30C wool cycle with a wool care laundry liquid (we like Woolite, Ecover Wool & Silk and Ecover Delicate Laundry Liquid) and with a spin of no more than 600rpm. We always wash similar colours together and wash inside-out. Reshape the item whilst damp and dry flat or hang to dry. Look after your Merino and it will look after you!

Please don’t use fabric softener or conditioner, don’t tumble dry or dry in direct sunlight. Never dry clean or bleach merino and don’t wring your garment out – it stretches the fibres.

Sizing guide

Size      Chest    Sleeve    Back
(CM)     width     length     length

XS          78cm     56cm     62cm

S            84cm      56cm     63cm

M           90cm      56cm     64cm

L            96cm      56cm     65cm

XL         102cm     56cm     66cm

XLL*      108cm     58cm     71cm   

Size        Chest    Sleeve  Back
(INCHES) width   length  length

XS            31"       22"      24.5"

S              33"       22"       25"

M             35.5"    22"       25"

L              38"       22"       25.5"

XL            40"       22"       26"

XLL*        42.5"     23"       28"     

UK size equivalent      

XS           6-8 UK size

S             8-10 UK size

M            12-14 UK size

L             14-16 UK size

XL          16-18 UK size

XLL*       18+/more than 6ft 2  

Unisex: styled to give a slim, shaped fit.

Our base layers are stretchy: Jo (on the website in aqua) is a size 8 and is wearing the S for a looser longer fit, Charlie (on the website in the black) is a size 10 and is wearing the S, Dan (on the website in the blue) is 5ft 10 and is wearing the M for a closer fit, Russ is 5ft 8 with a 42"/43" chest and he wears an XL, which fits him really well (even though the actual chest width of the base layer is 40.1").

Email us at lisa@noirvelocity.com, if you are uncertain about sizing, and we'll do our best to advise you, based on the sizes our customers, friends and family wear.  For men, send us your chest size and we'll compare with what other Noir buyers have bought. 

If you are within the M25 we can bring a selection over for you to try, to help you get the right fit.

*If you are over 6ft 2in tall you may need our XLL size, which is an extra 5cm longer at the front and back.

Sizing generally
We get a lot of questions on sizing because our tops are stretchy and worn for a wide range of different activities. Some wear them as a base layer, others layer over a vest or sports top for warming up at the beginning of a tennis match or hill reps or a yoga class. There’s more who just wear them lounging round the house and so may want an oversize '80s retro feel. Email if you have a sizing question. We'll do all we can to help.