Material guide for fall and winter:
Fall and winter can be unexpectedly harsh. What are the best materials for staying dry or warm? You’ve probably heard of wool, but do you know Loden or Donegal?
You would be surprised to know that you can choose more than the typical wool, cotton, polyester, etc.
We give in this mini-guide our favorite materials that we offer in our collection and explain briefly, why we love them.
Wool types.
Wool is a wonderful and natural material, it keeps you well warm and is naturally water-repellent.
Ideal for the fall and winter months, but one wool is not the other.
Below are our all time favorites and their features.
Virgin wool:
This is the best quality of standard wool you can get. As the name implies, it is wool that is used immediately after shearing the sheep. This guarantees that the purest wool has been used. (Which significantly mean ris of quality versus standard wool)
Well-known tweed fabrics, including Donegal and Harris tweed use only virgin wool. There is so much to say about it that we will write a separate article about it.
Our favorites with virgin wool.
Merino wool:
From a special breed of sheep, native to New Zealand. Their fur is very different from its distant cousin of (the common) sheep. Its unique properties, versus standard wool is much more stable and softer. They are less or no shrinkage and that these also do not fluff. Also, many people who have sensitive skin prefer this material because it does not itch.
Our favorites with merino.
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Merino muts navy€69,00 -
Lead wool:
From a special breed of sheep, native to New Zealand. Their fur is quite different from its distant cousin of (the common) sheep. Its unique properties, versus standard wool is much more stable and softer. They are less or no shrinkage and that these also do not fluff. Also, many people who have sensitive skin prefer this material because it does not itch.Similar to merino, this material has all the same properties, but has a great advantage against over other types of wool. This sheep, originally from the Tyrolean mountains, have a special layer in their coat. This layer makes their wool completely water repellent. Wool is already naturally water-repellent, but this one takes it to the next level.
Our favorites with Loden.
Nice and warm and soft:
These materials are classified differently than wool and are put more in the hair category. These are an excellent choice for those who want to be nice and warm and have sensitive skin.
Cashmier:
When you touch cashmere, the first thing you notice is how fine and soft it feels. When wearing this, it feels like carrying a warm hug with you.
Cashmere is from a breed of goats native to the mountains of asia and has been used for millennia.
Our favorites with cashmere
Alpaca:
Derived from a camel-like mammal, from south america. The coat looks something like a combination of wool and cashmere. Nice and soft and warm and have a nice (thickly woven) texture when touched.
Our favorite with Alpaca.
Hair felt (fur):
The term felt is often thrown around with hats, but what does it mean? In short = coat.
Note when it is named wool felt, as the name says not from fur but wool. It does sound more luxurious this way, but hair felt is the best (when it comes to hats.) They feel soft, supple and light and are naturally dirt/water repellent.
Our favorites with hair felt.
Best to keep you dry:
These are all other materials that will keep you well dry during any rain shower.
Wax Cotton:
This type of cotton is specially treated with a type of wax. You can find these dry or classically greased. Wax Cottons feel slightly stiffer, but both types are completely water repellent.
Our favorites with Wax cotton.
Teflon:
Now I’m not talking about Teflon pots or pans. That would be strange though, no teflon is similar to goretex in textiles. (Disclaimer: please note it is not goretex)
This material (like its better-known variant) is completely water-repellent. Teflon has a fleece-like texture that also makes it warm and soft. This may be the best you can find for the wet and inclement months of the year.
Our favorites with Teflon.
Conclusion
Whatever you end up choosing, these are all excellent materials to wear, during fall and winter. We have kept it brief as to what the features are. With some, we will certainly go into more detail in the future. Hopefully this guide has made you a little wiser and will help you, when choosing your next accessory.
