With winter bearing down on us it is the perfect time to have another look at the amazing qualities of merino wool fabric and why it is the ideal clothing to wear during the changeable autumnal season and the oncoming cold winter season.
Firstly, the science behind it all…
Everyone knows that wool is fabulous at keeping you warm. This is due to two main reasons:
- Wool has little air pockets that trap air. These air pockets act as a barrier between your skin and the outside air, and therefore prevent loss of body heat to the outside air as well. Think of it as double glazing for your skin!
- Wool is also a bad heat conductor (see, sometimes its good to be bad!) so it will not rob you of your warmth.
To really get the best benefits from wool it should be worn right next to the skin. But we all know too well that wool can also be itchy and scratchy and not exactly comfortable. Now, those types of wools are really meant for carpets, rugs and insulation as their fibres are thick and hairy. What we need is something soft and light and that’s when we say hello to the King of Sheep – the Merino!
The merino wool fibres are the finest of all the sheep. This is because these guys hang out way up high in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and need something super warm and comfortable to get them through the winter months. The super-fineness of their wool means less draughts and holes for the cold to set in. Their wool is also soft, light and very white, and could be mistaken for cotton wool in its raw form! In fact, a good comparison is the down feather - think how light and soft that is, and how beautifully warm as well! Merino wool is also strong, flexible and doesn’t shrink (quite handy for a merino sheep in the middle of a snow storm!).
Now take all of these amazing qualities of merino wool and turn it into a fabric and this makes for a fantastic product as you can have all the benefits of traditional wool, plus more, and then wear it right next to your skin. And you don’t have to worry about it losing shape or shrinking, and as it is light, not heavy like traditional wool, it dries quickly and can be thrown in the washing machine along with the rest of your washing. No agonising hand washing or special wool cycle required for this lot as merino wool clothing is designed to keep Mum’s happy!
And don’t forget the feel good factor as merino wool clothing is the ultimate in eco-friendliness due to being 100% natural and also bio-degradable. So you can wear your Snowgrass Merino clothing with pride and know that not only is it keeping you toasty warm but you are looking after our very important environment as well.
Take a Bow Mr Merino!
