One of the best materials is sheep wool. It was available to our distant ancestors. Wool has special qualities; it has not yet been possible to recreate its artificial analogue. Woolen items are wear-resistant and very warm, they retain their attractive appearance for a long time and breathe. It is believed that they can even fight high blood pressure, insomnia and nervous system disorders.
On the eve of cold weather, it would be a good idea to remember woolen items and add them to your wardrobe. But in order for a dress, coat or skirt to serve you for a long time, you should pay attention to what kind of wool they are made of. Look for the word virginwool on the product label. Some call this material the wool of a virgin sheep, and others call it the wool of a lamb. Let's figure out what it really is and what properties it has. Along the way, we’ll find out consumer reviews and what the price of products made from Virginia wool is.
Sheep wool (Wool)
Any wool is a natural fiber. Man began to shear it from sheep more than five thousand years ago. Sheep wool is the most common; products made from camel wool, angora, and alpaca are less commonly found on sale. It is quite durable and hygroscopic. There are several types of sheep wool:
- Lambswool is wool obtained from lambs aged 7-8 months. It is characterized by softness, elasticity, resilience and flexibility.
- Merino wool. Sheared from Merino sheep, it is soft and light.
- Shetland is a coarser wool with high wear resistance, it is sheared from sheep raised in the Shetland Islands (Scotland).
- Cheviot is the wool of another Scottish breed of sheep. Expensive material, characterized by durability and high thermal insulation properties.
Production technology
Only healthy, age-appropriate lambs are selected for production. The wool can be collected manually or using a special machine. It is important that the combed pile no longer requires processing.
The most valuable material is cut from the withers, as well as the shoulders and sides. It can also be used from the belly and legs of an animal, but such raw materials are optimally used in carpet production.
It is noteworthy that the technology for producing Virginia vul has not changed since ancient times. On average, one small sheep produces 140 g of raw materials of the highest quality.
Wool processing
The idea of industrial wool processing is now alien to society. If you walk into any department store and look at the piles of sweaters and dresses in a rainbow of colors, you are unlikely to find items made from Virginia wool, the properties of which are touted by manufacturers, but at the same time, there is not a single recycled fiber in them. However, this was not always the case.
The idea of wool processing arose during the Second World War. The war years influenced fashion. Governments in many countries limited the amount of fabric that could be used to make new clothes. Wool was needed for uniforms. Instead of buying new clothes, people were forced to recycle clothes out of necessity. An adult man's sweater was unraveled and turned into children's sweaters, gloves, socks, etc. And there was nothing wrong with that.
Nowadays, wool production has been established, but some people continue to recycle old products. High quality yarns tend to be expensive.
Manufacturer country
According to Russian legislation, the country of origin of the product must always be indicated on the label. Information about the manufacturer is also in the barcode. Today, the most widely used barcoding systems are the American system (UPC) and the European coding system (EAN). The UPC barcode consists of 12 digits, and the EAN barcode consists of 13. According to the EAN code, the first two digits indicate the country of origin of the product, the next five indicate the manufacturer, another five indicate the name of the product, its consumer properties, dimensions, weight, color. The last digit is used to check that the scanner is reading the strokes correctly.
Difference between Virgin Wool and Wool
You can often find two definitions of Virginia wool. Some sources say that this is wool sheared from a 4-6 month old merino lamb. Its fibers are very thin (20 microns). The wool is collected by hand, about 140 g is collected from each animal. Other sources say that when buying a coat made of Virginia wool, you are purchasing a product from a completely new material, not previously used. However, it is not at all necessary that the wool is collected from lambs; it can also be sheared from adult sheep. The second interpretation option is considered the most correct.
Virgin Wool is wool that has not been previously processed or woven. This material is often used for recycling. This is not surprising, since there is a limited global supply of completely new wool. Products made from it are more expensive compared to products made from regular wool.
The Virgin Wool designation can only be awarded to wool that is shorn from live, healthy sheep.
Cotton
100% Baumwolle, 100% Cotton, 100% reine Baumwolle, 100% pure cotton, 100% cotton means that the raw material (cotton) is only 70%.
Mercerisiert (mercerized) means that the cotton is treated with a solution of caustic soda in special containers, due to which it becomes smoother, acquires shine and greater strength.
Buegelfrei, pflegeleicht (easy to care for, does not require ironing) means that the cotton is treated with artificial resins that contain formaldehyde (one of the most allergenic substances).
Gebleicht, stone-wasched (bleached) - bleach with chlorine was used during processing.
Sanigrad, Actifresh, Sanitized (protection against bacteria) - treated with antibiological compounds.
100% kbA Baumwolle, 100% Baumwolle Kontr.Biol.Anbau, 100% organic cotton, 100% bio-cotton/organic cotton means that the raw material (cotton) is grown in a controlled biological farm without the use of chemicals, in accordance with strict environmental criteria.
Properties of Virgin Wool
Quite often you can come across a question from buyers about whether Virginia wool is warm or not. Manufacturers claim that products made from it are ideal for daily wear. They do not roll down, fit to the figure, practically do not wrinkle, retain heat well and at the same time are resistant to stains. Such clothes are universal; depending on the thickness of the knitting, you can choose a very warm sweater or coat for the cold season, or a thin jumper for the off-season.
In addition, the products practically do not absorb moisture, but absorb water vapor well. In order to iron such a skirt or sweater, just hang it in a room with high humidity. The wrinkles will disappear.
Application area
Lavsan fabric is used in the production of:
- casual and festive clothes - shirts, blouses, trousers, embroidered shirts, sundresses and so on;
- workwear;
- curtains and tulle;
- tablecloths;
- bed linen;
- furniture upholstery;
- fire hoses and watering hoses;
- sails
In addition, the following are made from lavsan:
- sewing threads;
- artificial fur;
- surgical threads;
- materials for prosthetics;
- membranes for milk filtration;
- molds for casting and compression molds;
- ropes and ropes;
- fishing nets;
- containers;
- bottles;
- packaging materials.
This is interesting: Poplin: what kind of fabric is it? Description of poplin composition, types, advantages and care rules
Prices for clothes from Virgin Wool
The cost of a product made from new wool depends on two factors: brand and type. Note that very often natural fiber is supplemented with acrylic, mohair, and cashmere. This affects the cost. Thus, the Snow Queen brand, widely known in the Russian Federation, offers a coat made of Virginia wool with the addition of 20% acrylic and 10% cashmere at a price of about 10-15 thousand rubles. It is intended for spring and autumn. At the same time, the luxury company MELDES sells coats made of 100% young and new wool at a price of 25 thousand rubles.
Prices for sweaters and skirts range from 5,000-10,000 rubles. Again, a lot depends on the manufacturer. Thus, the English brand Strenesse sells a regular jumper made of new wool at a price of about 300 euros.
Comparison with other species
Wool textiles are divided according to types and characteristics, and are made from camel, goat, merino, llama fiber:
- Cashmere. The most delicate cashmere fiber from Tibetan goats.
- Alpaca. The wool of this animal is especially durable and 7 times warmer than sheep's.
- Lama. The raw material is somewhat tougher, the undercoat is softer.
- Angora. Rabbit down is used in mixed fabrics and requires special careful care.
- Merino. It is distinguished by elasticity, softness and thinness.
- Camel. Comb out the undercoat, delicate and light fluff. The quality of camel down is stiffer than sheep fiber.
- Mohair. From the fluff of Angora goats. The fibers are quite long and have a beautiful shine.
Wool blankets
What could be better than a soft and warm woolen blanket in the cold autumn and frosty winter? Wrapping yourself up in it, you can save yourself from even the most severe cold. We don’t argue that a blanket made from Virgin Wool is not a cheap pleasure. However, it is so soft and delicate that it is difficult to resist buying it.
For blankets, as for clothing, a mixed material is often used, adding cashmere or acrylic to new wool. One of the best Italian brands is Giudecca. Giudecca blankets are made from lambs wool and cashmere in equal proportions. They are very soft, warm and light. The cost of a product measuring 130x180 cm is about 20-25 thousand rubles.
Thin blankets made from new lamb wool from the Irish company AVOCA will cost a little less. A product measuring 142x183 cm costs 7-8 thousand rubles.
Description of material
Virginia wool is a very soft, light and warm material. The villi have characteristic corkscrew curls. If you look at them through a magnifying glass, you will notice their silkiness and shine. The length of the fibers is 6-10 cm. The fabric made from them is non-prickly and pleasant to the touch.
Woolen threads with virgin wool are used primarily to create luxurious winter items:
- light and thin, but at the same time incredibly warm coat;
- beautiful sweaters, cardigans;
- hats, scarves, snoods and mittens;
- warm blankets and blankets.
Clothes made with virgin wool are produced by Hugo Boss, Marks&Spencer, Harris Tweed, Holland&Sherry, Loro Piana, Lanificio Drago, Max Mara, Moss Bros and many other well-known brands.
Products made from Virginia wool: customer reviews
Products made from new wool certainly have advantages over those made from recycled materials or synthetic fibers. In reviews, customers note five main qualities of items made from Virginia wool:
- Durability. A coat or sweater will serve you for many years, and at the same time will look like new.
- Quality. Virgin Wool is not cheap, so it makes no sense for careless manufacturers to “get involved” with it. An item created underground by non-professionals, even from good material, is unlikely to attract many buyers. Consumers in their reviews emphasize the high quality of the products in general, from the correct cut, the correct size chart to the selection of threads and accessories.
- Comfort. The wool is very soft and pleasant to the body. Even the most sensitive people and children do not complain that a sweater or dress pricks or becomes electrified. It practically does not wrinkle.
- Easy to clean. Customer reviews of Virginia wool coats say that the products are easy to clean. In addition, due to the fact that the fibers are practically not electrified, dirt does not stick to the item.
- Warm. Coats, sweaters, trousers, gloves, hats, etc. – all these things made from the new wool of young sheep retain heat perfectly. They allow the body to breathe.
Many people say that a Virgin Wool item cannot be cheap by definition. However, they consider such an investment profitable, because the product will last for many years.
What is Lambswool?
It’s worth mentioning Lambswool separately because it is an elite product. Translated from English, lamb means lamb, wool means wool. To obtain such fiber, 7-8 month old Merino lambs and other breeds are shorn.
The material is famous for its quality:
- the fabric is smooth and soft, weightless;
- has warming properties;
- does not wrinkle;
- does not cause allergies;
- not afraid of moisture;
- doesn't prick.
Lambswool in its pure form is used only by world-famous manufacturers. Airy jumpers, pullovers, and cardigans are made from delicate yarn. According to customer reviews, these things are worth the money. But not everyone can afford such expensive clothes. To reduce the cost of production, impurities are added to pure wool: acrylic and other artificial threads. With this approach, knitted items become more accessible, but the quality characteristics of the material decrease. Fabric with synthetic impurities accumulates static electricity and “shocks”.
Opposite opinion
Nowadays, Virginia wool has become a sign of luxury and high cost. However, there is an opinion that this is another attempt to impose certain stereotypes about well-being and fashion on people. This may sound exaggerated, but if you are wearing a sweater or a luxurious suit made from the wool of young lambs, then you are successful and beautiful.
Meanwhile, some people say a piece made from new wool may be worthless compared to something knitted from a $300 sweater that was worn once before being recycled. In their opinion, each buyer decides for himself what “new” means to him.
Rules for caring for things
How to care for clothes so as not to spoil them immediately after the first wash? After reading the label, you will find symbols that allow you to find out at what temperature this item can be washed, whether it can be ironed, bleached, whether chemical treatment is possible, etc. How to properly care for things is in the Aif.ru Infographics.
Virginia wool is present in fabrics or textile products: what kind of material is it, how is it produced and what properties does it have? The most common is sheep wool, since its production has been established for a long time. This fiber has many varieties and varieties, but the most valuable is the young pile, used for the first time.
Video
Watch how sheep wool is combed in this video:
wool - ] n. 1) bio the fine, soft, curly hair that forms the fleece of sheep and certain other animals 2) tex yarn made of such wool 3) tex a fabric or garment of such wool 4) any finely fibrous or filamentous matter suggestive of the wool of …From formal English to slang
wool — Wool goes back to Indo European *wlná, which also produced Latin lāna (source of English lanolin), Czech vlna, Polish wełna, and Welsh gwlān (probable source of English flannel). In prehistoric Germanic it had become *wullō, which... ... The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
wool — Wool goes back to Indo European *wlná, which also produced Latin lāna (source of English lanolin), Czech vlna, Polish wełna, and Welsh gwlān (probable source of English flannel). In prehistoric Germanic it had become *wullō, which... ... Word origins
lana - SYN: wool. * * * la·na (lanґə) gen. and pl. laґnae wool…Medical dictionary
Any factory item has a label, and if there is none on the product, then this is a reason to think about it. Most likely, this product is a real fake. By carefully examining the label, you can find out about the country of origin, the composition of the fabric and recommendations for caring for the product.
