Wool

We're big fans of wool, and for good reason. A renewable resource, wool's ability to keep you dry, warm and comfortable across a wide range of environments makes it one of the most versatile materials around. We work hard to source our wool responsibly, but it's not always a simple process.

As a natural fiber, the production of wool has a number of unique challenges. These include:

ANIMAL HEALTH

• Providing appropriate comfort, shelter and freedom from distress and illness. Of particular note is the practice of mulesing, in which a layer of skin around the animal's rear end is removed to prevent disease. Unpleasant though it may be, there are two sides to this practice, which is done in order to ensure the long-term health of the animals. Certain breeds of sheep are susceptible to “fly strike,” whereby flies lay eggs in the skin of the sheep, which hatch and literally eat the animal from inside. We do not claim to be experts on the best practices to ensure the long-term health of sheep flocks, but we do work with suppliers whose experience and desire for healthy productive sheep motivates them to make he best decisions for their flocks. Wherever possible, we use wool from mulesing-free sheep.

LAND MANAGEMENT

• Systematic control of chemical use, including pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

• Protection of the soil, surrounding watershed and biodiversity and wildlife.