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The Mercury: 1 Sweater, 48 Hours

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Both technically and aesthetically, our garments are designed to adapt to any given environment. Take the Mercury sweater. It looks (and feels) the part of a versatile Merino sweater; but with NASA-engineered Phase Change Material integrated into its wool fibers, the sweater proactively regulates body temperature - updating a classic garment for modern life on the go. 

Ministry of Supply Design Director Jarlath Mellett put his Mercury crewneck to the test last week, wearing it through airports, on planes, in meetings, and to one particularly memorable company holiday party (good guess - it was ours). Here, we check in on how Jarlath's sweater performed over this two-day stint of work travel. 

Design Director Jarlath in his Mercury sweater, Day 2

Day 1
I left Atlanta at 6AM, wearing my Mercury sweater over a t-shirt, dark jeans, and navy suede desert boots. Heading out to the airport so early in the morning, it was really cold, and then as usual, the airport itself was hot. Getting through security was no easy task (as is never is at that hour), and then I had to take a shuttle to the terminal. By that point, I was particularly nervous about missing my flight, and ended up running all the way to the gate.

Given the overall frenzy, I was pretty hot and bothered and should have been giving off a great deal of body heat. But my body temperature felt totally even throughout the entire ordeal. Even with the shock of getting onto a super cold plane, I remained comfortable. 

Once we arrived to Boston, I quickly realized that I didn't bring a warm enough jacket (blame it on being so used to Atlanta weather), but my sweater quickly adjusted to the climate change. I worked inside the Ministry of Supply office most of that day, popping outside just to grab a bite to eat. 

Day 2
Wore the same Mercury over a blue grid Archive dress shirt with navy twill drawstring slacks. On top of many meetings that day, I had presentation to give. While public speaking typically would cause the body to heat up in anxious anticipation, the Mercury kept me cool and, subsequently, more confident in carrying out the task at hand. (Don't let them see you sweat, right?)

That night, Ministry of Supply had its holiday party at a small restaurant in Chinatown. Despite the packed space and beverages consumed, my body temperature felt steady throughout(maybe the Mercury absorbs alcohol, too?) and my sweater was right on par with the more urbane dress code. 

The Summary
In my mind, Mercury is the ideal travel partner. Going from the airport to the office to meetings to a holiday party meant I was constantly changing climates and settings, but at no point did I have to take time out of my already-hectic day to change what I was wearing. The sweater proactively adapted to every shift in temperature and, aesthetically, was polished (and comfortable) enough to seamlessly transition from one situation to another. Within a crazy travel week, a garment this versatile is truly invaluable. 

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