Wool evolved on sheep to protect them from a wide variety of weather. Dalena White explains how we are still learning what this can mean for human health and wellness, and even space exploration.
No other fibre offers the package of benefits that wool does: breathability; odour resistance; UV protection; thermoregulation; and, in its finer varieties, softness and comfort next-to-skin. These have made finer wool, such as Merino, the natural choice for performance apparel.
They have also taken wool to another level.
A NASA astronaut wearing the Cobra shirt from Armadillo Merino during exercises in the International Space Station. Photograph: NASA
In a study released in 2015, textile engineers at NASA singled out Merino wool shirts as the most promising base layer in tests involving crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Crew members used six sets of lightweight shorts and shirts for 15 exercise periods, rating the clothing for durability, comfort and overall performance. The Merino wool T-shirt came out on top.
Challenges of clothing in space include a lack of laundry machines and water, and body smells begin to build up when space personnel must wear only a few sets of clothing for months at a time. Lint from cotton garments can clog up machinery.
“We chose wool for exercise because it has really interesting properties in drying and actually after it gets dry, it doesn’t smell,” NASA’s resident textile engineer, Evelyne Orndorff, said at the time the study results were released.
The NASA study, it was suggested, will inform the choices in optimising clothing for future missions – especially those of long duration, such as manned missions to Mars.
Textile engineers at NASA singled out Merino wool shirts as the most promising base layer in tests involving crew members aboard the International Space Station. Photograph: NASA
Space station live
Find out what the well-dressed astronaut is wearing by watching this video
Natural attributes
UK-based Armadillo Merino’s specialist Merino T-shirts have already taken a giant leap for woolkind – the superfine Merino wool base layers went up in the 40th expedition to the ISS in 2014 and were worn by NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts.
The first space apparel was synthetic, and it’s a familiar story: space textile experts worked to create an anti-static, odour-resistant, flame-resistant man-made fabric, before realising that wool has all of these attributes naturally.
Andy Caughey, managing director of Armadillo Merino, approached NASA in 2013 when the space agency had an open competition for innovative fabrics.
Armadillo Merino’s T-shirts are classed as personal protective equipment (PPE) – the range was developed by Caughey after he saw the horrific burns suffered by soldiers who had been exposed to explosions while wearing synthetic base layers.
When exposed to heat and flames, the synthetic base layers would melt, drip and catch fire, causing horrific accidents and life-changing injuries.
The Armadillo Merino T-shirts had all the attributes the NASA textiles development team had been looking for – flame resistance up to 600°C, anti-static, low-lint, odour-resistance and thermoregulation.
“It’s an amazing endorsement of wool as a fibre,” Caughey says.
Next-to-skin apparel
The main markets for Armadillo Merino’s range of superfine Merino wool base layers are emergency services first responders and special forces.
But the functional benefits of fine wool like Merino also mean that it’s the best possible fibre for next-to-skin apparel.
“The more we push the boundaries and discover about the material, the more we wonder why more people don’t know about it,” Caughey told Drapers Online.
“We’re learning so much in the extreme user market, but there is so much relevant to everyday wear.”
A growing number of brands are innovating with natural performance fibres like Merino wool. Its natural qualities have boosted wool’s prominence in the sportswear industry.
The activewear market is the fastest-growing sector of the US$1.7tn global textile business, according to The Woolmark Company.
The latest edition of The Wool Lab Sport by The Woolmark Company, on show at ISPO in Munich earlier this year, offers innovative technical performance fabrics and yarns that maximise wool’s ability to deliver comfort and breathability.
The offering includes fabric types and technical blends in single and double weaves and laminated and bonded versions, as well as 100% wool and wool-rich outer fabrics. One wool-rich windbreaker weighs in at less than 60 gsm.
The Woolmark Company recently put wool’s performance to the test, asking some of Australia’s top athletes to work out in wool from head to toe.
“I think that people hold the misconception that wool can be cumbersome and itchy, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Commonwealth Games 100-metre semi-finalist Rohan Browning, while three-time Olympic middle-distance runner Jeff Riseley noted wool’s ability to regulate body temperature and minimise moisture.
“I typically find it difficult to find a product that can keep me warm early in a run when I’m still cold, and that can cope once I’ve warmed up so that I don’t overheat or sweat,” Riseley said. “Wool minimises the need for multiple layers that need to be shed as a run goes on, making it really versatile.”
Australian athlete Jeff Riseley putting wool to the test. Photograph: The Woolmark Company
Watch wool in action for yourself in this video from The Woolmark Company.
- Dalena White is the Secretary General of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO).
- With a worldwide membership encompassing the wool pipeline from farm to retail, the IWTO represents the interests of the global wool trade. By facilitating research and development and maintaining textile industry standards, IWTO ensures a sustainable future for wool. To learn more about IWTO and its activities, visit iwto.org.
Andy Caughey, managing director of Armadillo Merino, will be speaking at the 2019 IWTO Congress, taking place on 9-11 April in Venice.
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