Sheep’s wool is the primary natural fiber used to produce soft, warm, and cozy fabrics. It is obtained from the “Ovis Aries” species, raised mainly in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina.
The thermal insulation and hygroscopic properties of wool make it perfect for braving harsh winter temperatures. Its wavy structure makes it a naturally elastic fiber capable of adapting comfortably to the wearer’s body, resulting in great comfort; furthermore, it is highly tear-resistant thanks to its ability to fold back on itself more than 20,000 times. These characteristics allow a wool fabric, once worn, to return to its original shape without wrinkling, increasing the value and durability of the product.
The most common and sought-after color for wool is white, as it is generally finer and easier to dye than brown, gray, or black wool. Its ability to absorb and retain liquids allows the fiber to be dyed without the use of chemical agents.
The use of wool as a fiber for making clothing dates back thousands of years: it is believed that the selection of animals for wool production began around 6,000 BC in Mesopotamia, Palestine, Syria, and Assyria.
In Europe, the first documentation of wool use dates back to Ancient Greece, where the processing of this fiber was entrusted to women. Initially, wool was pulled from the sheep manually or with bronze combs: it was the Romans who devised shearing and weaving techniques.
Since then, the fiber has been at the center of trade throughout Europe, giving rise to a true trade in raw materials. The major producers of wool were England, the Iberian Peninsula, and Burgundy. Their fiber was processed in the famous Flemish workshops to be transformed into precious fabric. In Florence, too, wool processing became extremely important: about a third of the Florentine population was employed in this sector. In the late Middle Ages, Merino sheep began to be bred in Spain, contributing to the country’s success in the wool market.
With the Industrial Revolution, the wool industry became automated: in 1810, the first mechanical spinning plants were built in Great Britain, and by the middle of the century, the first weaving plants were established. The wool market remained a protagonist until the mid-20th century, when artificial fibers put it into crisis. Since then, the textile industry has been committed to creating an increasingly modern fiber that adapts to the needs of the new world.
Cashmere wool is harvested during the goat’s spring molt: an average of 150-200 grams of down can be obtained from a single Hircus goat, a very small amount that determines the high price of this precious raw material. The most widespread technique is combing the fleece, which is separated from the root with a special hooked comb to obtain the finest part of the hair. This process is harmless to the animal and is repeated twice at intervals of 3 or 4 weeks.
Once collected, the fiber is separated from impurities, first manually and then through washing, to obtain a uniform color. After drying, the cashmere is ready to undergo spinning, weaving, and finishing processes, resulting in a soft, high-quality fabric.
Increasing sensitivity toward sustainability has raised the issue of wool reuse. While until a few years ago companies typically worked with pure virgin wool fibers, today they are increasingly focusing on regenerated wool fabrics, obtained from recycling old clothes and production waste. The rags are sorted by quality and color to obtain mechanical wool, which will be spun and woven again. At the end of the process, the finished fabric will maintain the original characteristics of virgin wool.
The wool recycling process saw its greatest expansion in Prato during the post-war period: Menchi follows the Prato tradition, and its commitment to protecting the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on is attested by the Responsible Wool Standard certification. The use of regenerated wool is certified by the Global Recycle Standard.
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