The first wash changes things.

Not badly. The fibres relax. The knit settles into itself. What first felt dense and structured becomes softer against the skin. This is normal with virgin wool, expected. It's part of how the material works, not a sign of anything going wrong.

The knit lives with you. It becomes yours, changing with you over the years.

Wear leaves a mark. That's fine.

Over time, the surface of a knit carries the history of how it's been worn. The fibres compress where pressure falls regularly. The hand-feel deepens. The colour may soften slightly in areas of use. None of this is failure. It's the material doing what living fibres do.

A 5 gauge wool knit develops a patina. That's wear and character, not wear and tear.

What stays

The structure holds. The warmth stays. The shape returns after washing if you let it dry correctly. Wool has memory in a way that many fibres don't. A piece worn for five years and cared for honestly will still feel like itself.

Some things in a wardrobe you keep because they're useful. Others because they've become something. A good knit can do both.