Merino Boiled Wool Coats

Do we carry a Merino wool coat?

 

Yes, we have a several coats made from either pure Merino wool or a mix of Merino wool with other natural fibers. Recently, the popularity of Merino wool has skyrocketed as awareness of the fibers qualities has grown. Brands have played on this popularity by using the precious fiber in a variety of products from traditional sweaters to socks, shirts, long underwear and even shoes or slippers – and for good reasons.

The many natural benefits of wool (i.e. odor reducing, moisture wicking, temperature regulating) are made more enjoyable by the comfort of Merino wool fibers against the skin. The fineness of the fibers (19 – 21 microns) is what makes them so comfortable. However, this fineness, just like with other fine natural fibers such as Cashmere, lamb wool, or Alpaca also comes with the disadvantages of piling risk and fragility. Therefore it’s very important that the fabric made from the fibers be appropriate for the task of the garment. That is why our Merino wool coats and jackets use boiled wool fabric. That means the Merino wool is woven and then the fabric undergoes a long wet-finishing process that shrinks the fabric making it dense and strong in order that it will be water resistant. This makes the fabric into what’s called ‘Loden’.

 

You might wonder why use Merino wool for a coat when the coat isn’t directly on the skin? Well, there are a few reasons. First, owing to the fineness of fiber it insulates more effectively, keeping you warmer. But that’s not all. It is also softer to the touch which nice and it also makes a beautiful texture to look at. The Merino wool fabric we usually use, like in the Edelmann and Braumeister Jackets, as well as the Liezen Cruiser, is called a mélange. That means two or more colors of fibers are mixed before the yarn is spun creating a special effect when it is woven and then finished. The colors we use are charcoal and white. The effect of the white fibers is very subtle, but when you look closely you can see them mixed in.