A Guide to Our Wool

The Campaign for Wool’s annual Wool Week celebrates its ninth year, from the 8th – 21st October.

Wool Week celebrates retailer collaborations and aims to educate consumers around the careability of wool—dispelling the myths associated with stain removal, washing, drying and general care. It also highlights the purchase of wool products as an investment that will stand the test of time.

Wool is a integral part of a gentleman’s wardrobe—from versatile Harris Tweed jackets to indulgent cable knit scarves. It features heavily in day-to-day wear and is a crucial investment as we approach cooling temperatures. We source only the finest, luxurious wool—tantamount to our own ethos on high quality—and highlight the best-selling wools so you can determine which is ideal for you, as well as a few handy tips on how to care for your woollen items.

Merino Wool

Merino wool is fine and soft. The fabric has a natural loft that traps heat very efficiently between the fibres, making it warmer than a synthetic material of the same weight. However, it's also good in the heat as merino regulates your body temperature well. Merino is considered the best fibre available for outdoor apparel as it is comfortable in any weather condition. Our merino knitwear retains a fitted shape without restricting movement thanks to the fine and naturally elastic yarn. Our crew neck merino jumper, for example, is the perfect choice for a breathable lightweight layer.

Cashmere Wool

Cashmere wool is a fibre obtained from cashmere goats and other types of goat. The word cashmere is an old spelling of Kashmir, the geographical region in India and north Pakistan. Common usage defines the fibre as wool but it is finer and softer than sheep's wool. To create a truly luxury-quality fabric, only the finest and longest fibres can be used, so it takes the hair of four goats to make one Turnbull & Asser jumper. Our knitted beanies and scarves come in rich, deep colours and are a quietly luxurious accessory that will keep you snug in the declining temperatures.

Escorial Wool

Escorial is made from the soft, springy coat of the rare Mahgreb sheep, North African in origin but now bred in New Zealand. The Escorial fibre is like a curled spring and when stretched throughout production processes its natural memory is to return to the original curled state. The curly hair traps air, providing greater bounce and insulation. It is this characteristic that makes Escorial garments, feather-light and resilient with a crease-free nature. Our Escorial wool scarves are durable and extremely warm with a velvety handle.

Here are our key tips to looking after your woollen items.

• With wool, it is vital that you always read the washing instructions that come with the garment carefully. These are usually found on a label inside the garment or on a ticket attached to the outside. They will vary depending on the type of wool product purchased. Some require hand washing or dry cleaning only; others will tolerate machine washing and tumble drying.

• Rinse thoroughly in cool water.

• Squeeze out excess water by hand or gentle spin. Do not wring.

• Do not dry in direct heat or strong sunlight.

• Press using cool iron (wool setting) and damp cloth.

• For short term storage always hang woven garments on good hangers (preferably padded) in a cool, dry place with enough space to allow creases to drop out. Never hang knitwear, always fold it and store in a draw or cupboard that affords reasonable breathing space.

• Give knitwear garments a rest between wearing for at least 24 hours; wrinkles should vanish.

• Woollens benefit immensely from regular airing. After wearing, knitwear can be laid out flat to dry in shape on a bed for an hour or so to get rid of any odours, such as cigarette smoke.

Visit our garment care page for more information, and www.campaignforwool.org for more on Campaign For Wool.

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