Why Choose Wool?
Our original goods are designed and created in the heart of Yorkshire.
All our woollen products are produced on a single site - from raw wool entering our mill to the many fabulous styles of quality accessories that we provide you to enjoy. We're incredibly proud that our original goods are all created using this incredibly versatile and sustainable product.
Those items that we do outsource are carefully selected to ensure they meet our values of mindful quality and reassurance of sustainable style for every occasion.
Why do we choose wool?
Sheep husbandry is one of humankind’s earliest farming techniques, and to this day, the use of wool is one of the most sustainable fibre types still in use.
Despite this, wool only makes up 1% of the global apparel industry. This is where “fast fashion” has dominated in recent years - due to shockingly quick production rates, and cheaper pricing - using synthetic materials such as Polyester, Polyamide, Acrylic, Spandex and more to produce on-trend garments.
These synthetic materials are a cause for concern, as these fabrics release tiny fragments known as microplastics with every wash into our ecosystem, polluting our water and food sources.
They are not easily broken down, as their synthetic nature means that the composition of the fabrics is not naturally occurring – thus, microorganisms that would typically digest and break down discarded material are unable to process these fabrics. It is thought that many synthetic materials will take decades, if not hundreds of years, to decompose fully.
Wool, on the other hand, is a highly eco-friendly fibre type. Below are just some of the many properties of wool that make it so viable as an alternative to synthetic materials:
100% natural and renewable.
Wool is a 100% renewable material. By consuming a simple blend of grass and water, sheep will produce a new fleece of wool yearly.
They are also typically farmed on hilly or arid land – areas that would typically be unfit for other agricultural use, ensuring a minimised strain on resources.
100% biodegradable.
As wool is made up of naturally occurring proteins, it can be easily and completely broken down by microorganisms within the soil– in a process known as decomposition.
This decomposition process will then release these proteins into the soil, providing valuable nutrients to the earth.
Naturally insulating
Wool can capture and release moisture from its surroundings in response to temperature changes. This allows the fabric to either retain heat or promote cooling, depending on the external temperature.
Because of this, wool makes the perfect accessory no matter the season – keeping the wearer warm in colder months and cooler in hotter months.
Naturally odour-resistant
Wool is exceptionally efficient at absorbing moisture from the skin and releasing it back into the air. This halts bacteria growth – which typically requires moisture to thrive – and stops the development of odour as a result.
This is in stark contrast to alternative synthetic materials – which often need to be washed more. This is due to their nature to trap and hold onto moisture but without the ability to re-release it - creating the perfect environment for bacteria to grow between the fibres.
Easy to care for.
Wool fibres have a natural “waxy” outer coating, which stops most dirt from being immediately absorbed into the fibres. This provides ample time for any soiling to be wiped away.
Wool has anti-static properties – meaning the fibres attract less dust and lint. This results in a naturally hypoallergenic quality, as most allergens come from dust and bacteria, both of which wool is resistant to.
Highly re-used and recycled
Within the wool industry, there is a long-standing recycling system that has facilitated the success of wool as one of the most easily reused and recycled apparel fibre types today.
Although wool only makes up 1% of the global apparel material supply, surveys have found that woollen garments make up 5% of all clothes donated to charity.
Naturally fire resistant
Wool has an inherent molecular structure causing it to be naturally resistant to fire. It is, therefore, a highly prevalent material in hotels, aircraft, hospitals, and theatres.
Impressively, the temperature must reach between 570 - 600°C before combustion may occur in wool - and even then, the fibres will often only smoulder due to the ability of wool fibres to form an insulating layer and inhibit the spread of fire.
Needless to say, the benefits of wool on the environment and for the quality of our products are undeniable. We are proud to celebrate this fantastic product and produce the quality accessories that our customers love.
Our commitments
Animal Welfare – Anti-Mulesing
Mulesing is an outdated practice from the early 20th century which involves the cutting of wool-growing skin around the rear of the sheep, resulting in scar tissue that will not produce fleece over the sheep’s lifetime.
This method ensured that the livestock could not attract parasitic infections such as flystrike which often proved fatal to the afflicted sheep.
Within the turn of the millennia, it became clear through animal rights organisations just how distressing this practice was to the animals, with many country-wide bans made to outlaw mulesing.
In line with the Animal Welfare Act of 1999, we have ensured that all of the wool we procure is from suppliers that do not - and have not ever – used the practice of mulesing on their sheep.
We have held close partnerships with all of our wool suppliers for many years. We regularly monitor independent audits and test certificates to ensure that our raw materials are continually obtained from reputable origins – in line with our sustainable sourcing guidelines.
New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme Standard
In addition to our continued commitment to ensuring our wool is sourced from reputable sources, we are certified with the Wool Integrity New Zealand programme – underpinned by the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme Standard.
This partnership ensures that all wool we receive through our long-term supplier of over thirty-five years - Bloch & Behrens - complies with the five freedoms of animal welfare:
- Freedom from thirst, hunger, and malnutrition.
- Freedom from discomfort.
- Freedom from pain, injury, or disease.
- Freedom from distress.
- Freedom to express normal behaviour.
The Wool Integrity programme was established in 2015 as an assurance to all parties within the wool supply chain that a quality, sustainable and ethically produced product will be delivered on time.
Wool is monitored at each stage of its journey and offers complete traceability on all materials.