Woolens fabrics, surprising and durable
Knits, traditional big knits... Does wool seem like a traditional classic to you? What if, with your online fabric store, you (re)discovered wool fabrics in order to better reinvent them?
Durable material and a technical and refined fabric, The Torretto Tessuti Team introduces the secrets of the multi-faceted woolen fabrics.
WOOLEN FABRICS: WHAT MAKES THEM SO SUCCESSFUL?
Designing fashion nowadays comes with many challenges: sustainable composition, environmental impact, uniqueness... Dealing with all this does not seem simple. However, wool could surprise you. Follow us, we'll explain everything:
Woolen, a renewable material ♻️
Wool is a fiber of natural origin. It comes from the fleece of animals, sheep, and the sheep family. Used to make clothes since the Stone Age, it crossed time by constantly reinventing itself, until now, where it warms us up.
To your knowledge, humanity began to use wool by collecting the fiber lost by the sheep over the years, breeding and selection have made the hair of these sheep resistant to molting and of superior quality. Nowadays, most sheep produce mainly undercoat fiber (fine, fluffy fibers), whereas the first wild species had a two-layer coat.
Beautiful and renewable, wool grows finely on the sheep to be sheared at the right time.And this up to 13.6 kilos of wool per year, fascinating no?
Wool, a biodegradable fiber 🌱
Renewable fiber, wool is perceived as ethical and for a good reason: its biodegradability. That's right! Wool does not release any micro-particles into the earth or oceans during its degradation. On the contrary, it releases precious nutrients that help fertilize the soil. So green!
Woolen, a convenient fabric 🧵
Wool is our favorite winter fiber because of its eco-friendly aspect, but not only! Wrinkle-free, it also offers good thermal protection and regulates sweat.
It offers high resistance to wear, good elasticity, and great flexibility. It can, for example, stretch up to 70% of its natural length and when the tension is released, return to its natural length. Impressed? Well, there's more. Believe it or not: wool is self-cleaning. No no, we're not kidding. Wool is a naturally anti-bacterial material.
Wool, a refined material 🪡
Did you know that a single wool fiber is finer than a single human hair? The trendy knitwear is perhaps as light as a breath. A star of the clothing industry, wool is characterized by its fineness. By reputation, the finest wools are the most beautiful and delicate ones.
According to a Supply Compass study, 90% of the world's wool is used to make quality clothing. In volume, wool accounts for only 1.2% of the global apparel market production but represents 8% of its monetary value, thus asserting itself as a refined fiber. So... if you want a couture outfit, you know which fabric to choose. !
WOOL FABRICS, HOW CAN WE DIFFERENTIATE THEM?
The animal
There are as many varieties of wool as there are types of sheep:
In addition to these natural woollens, you can find blends of synthetic and animal fibers such as our Tweed Bouclette black fabric which is adorned with metal thread for a sparkling effect or even 100% vegan woollens.
Weight of a woolen fabric
In addition to their composition, woolen fabrics are differentiated according to their weight:
Aspects of wool
The type of wool fibers also determines its performance:
- Carded wool : scrambled and disheveled aspect (short fibers)
- Combed wool : clean, smooth, regular aspect (long fibers, therefore more regularity)
The wool can also undergo finishes which will modify its aspect:
- Fuller wool: compact, stiff, solid appearance
- Scraped wool: plump and soft appearance
Thus, wool gabardine, wool twill, wool tweed, Crepe wool, wool fuller and boiled wool, wool flannel, wool velvet, wool fleece, satin wool, wool cheesecloth, wool challis, bouclette, the types of woollens are numerous...
different armors
Recognizing their armor is a good way to differentiate them:
So, are you tempted?
Wool is a material that has been appreciated for centuries for its quality and longevity. 100% natural, 100% biodegradable, 100% renewable: it promisesethical and responsible fabrics.
Choose from a selection of up-cycled materials, like our wool fabrics from dormant stocks, and you'll have an ethical sewing project without any compromises.