Loden fabric: what and how it is made from, properties and characteristics, pros and cons, areas of use

Loden coat - a classic wool coat for autumn and winter

If you've been to Europe in the winter or similarly cold and snowy places, you've probably seen men and women wearing long, warm coats, walking around comfortably while remaining cool about the cold. One such item is the Loden coat (made from Loden wool) - and we think it deserves a closer look.

What type of fabric is this

Loden is a warm, dense, soft material made from sheep's wool. The fabric is similar in appearance to cloth, drape, felt, felt, but soft and light. In the production of loden, woolen fabrics are boiled in soap solutions, so the second name for the material is boiled wool.

Loden fabric colors

Loden is produced in factories in Italy, Korea, Austria:

Sheep wool is cleaned and washed.
Yarn is made on spinning machines.
On felting machines, yarn is formed into loose, lumpy webs.
In other production methods, linens are made on looms or knitting machines and then felted.
The fabrics are boiled in soap solutions until a dense, smooth fabric is obtained.

When boiling:

the wool becomes soft and flexible;
density increases;
breathability decreases;
water-repellent properties appear.

Finished canvases are processed:

paint;
dried;
combed out with a scraper, trimmed.

Raw materials and production

Read about: pique fabric - special qualities in each product.

Natural wool, most often sheep's wool, is used as raw material for loden; to make the fabric softer, mohair is added to coarse wool.

The very principle of production technology has remained the same, the same as centuries ago.

First, the sheep's wool is sheared, washed, and then spun. Then they are dumped and boiled in very hot water with special means. Boiling continues until the fabric becomes dense, smooth and very durable.

Then the canvas is painted and then allowed to dry. The dyed fabric is combed out and long threads and pile are cut off.

Pros and cons of fabric

Benefits of boiled wool:

beautiful, unusual;
natural;
soft, comfortable to wear;
repels water and dirt;
keeps warm, warms, protects from wind,
plastic, suitable for complex styles;
does not crumble when cutting, there is no need to process the cuts;
The surface structure allows you to sew clothes without lining and with the seams facing out.

Flaws:

shrinks when wet;
before cutting, decatification is required (wet heat treatment);
delicate care required;
Lanolin, which is found in sheep's wool, causes allergies.

Material properties

Advantages:

environmental friendliness.

The material is environmentally friendly; no toxic components are used in production;

thermal insulation properties.

Like any other woolen material, loden perfectly warms and retains heat, but at the same time its dense texture and windproof nature allows you to wear things in cold, windy weather;

plasticity and ease of sewing.

The fabric is not capricious and sewing with it is a pleasure. Due to its good stretchability, the fabric easily takes on the desired shape when cutting. The edges do not crumble and do not require processing; moreover, products where raw edges are a decorative element are popular;

resistance to pollution.

The material has dirt-repellent properties, dirt does not penetrate into the structure of the fibers and, as a rule, it is quite easy to clean with a brush;

breathability.

This is a breathable material; it allows the skin to breathe, despite being sufficiently dense and windproof, it allows air to pass freely.

Flaws:

susceptibility to deformation.

The canvas is quite plastic, but products are prone to deformation during operation - they stretch, and shrinkage is possible under the influence of moisture and high temperatures;

difficulty of care.

Loden products are not allowed to be washed, only specialized dry cleaning is possible;

allergenicity.

Wool itself is an allergen due to the animal fat it contains - lanolin. In addition, an allergic reaction can often occur to the products used in dry cleaning.

cashmere

What standards are used in production? What do they take into account?

Loden is subject to GOST 28000-2004 for ready-made clothing wool and wool blend fabrics.

GOST established technical requirements for wool materials:

coloring;
raw materials;
permissible size deviations;
physical and mechanical indicators;
packaging.

GOST defines:

safety requirements;
test methods;
acceptance rules;
storage, transportation.

Qualitative characteristics and comparison with other materials

Loden is a fabric unique in its characteristics, combining the consumer properties of many similar materials. For example, it is compared:

with felt in its density and water-repellent properties, but it is much thinner;
with felt, but it is softer than felt;
with a drape, but the loden is completely windproof;
with fleece, but unlike it, natural wool is used here.

Loden is a very soft and delicate material, pleasant to the touch. It drapes wonderfully. Plastic and obedient in texture. It is water resistant and will not get wet in the rain.

Varieties

According to the production method, this material is divided into:

felted and impregnated, that is, soaked;
felted woven;
felted non-woven, made using a knitting machine;
on a knitted basis;
felted;
technical, half consisting of polyester.

By type of pile:

cloth, whose pile is very short and felted;
fleecy, the pile of which is laid in one direction.

photo of the felted look

pile

Loden is also distinguished:

bouclé;
double-sided, with different textures on the back and front;
with a textured pattern;
with embroidery.

bouclature

Varenka fabric for coats

in the photo the loden is double-sided

Today you can buy materials made in Italy, Poland, Turkey and other countries.

What purposes can this fabric be used for?

Demi-season and winter outerwear is made from thick boiled wool:

Coat

Poncho

Jackets

From thick loden they make:

headwear - hats, caps, berets;
shoes;
gloves;
bags.

From soft plastic materials of medium thickness they sew:

Blazers and cardigans

Cardigans

Pullovers and sweatshirts

Vests and suits

Sweaters and sweatshirts

Demi-season items are sewn from knitted loden:

skirts;
trousers;
dresses.

A few rules of care

It is not recommended to wash the products yourself by hand or in a washing machine due to the high probability of shrinkage;
If dirt appears, you can try cleaning the product with a dry brush, moving in the direction of the pile;
Only dry dry cleaning using special products is allowed;
The product can be ironed from the reverse side using the “wool” mode;
The product should be stored separately from other items, folded (not on hangers) in paper or linen bags in well-ventilated areas.
Protect from moths.

So, products made from loden are quite capricious and demanding to use, but despite these features, owners of loden products are always very pleased with their purchase - after all, it is a natural material with unique characteristics that provide a high level of comfort.

Fabric production technology

The most complete loden production process consists of several technological operations:

pre-processing of wool - mixing different types of wool or different colors of the same wool to create a branded fabric of a unique composition;
carding - combing raw wool with metal combs to remove impurities and obtain straight bundles of fibers;
carding - breaking straight tufts into individual fibers, obtaining a loose cotton layer;
spinning - twisting a layer of cotton wool into a loose thread, winding threads onto spools;
“spinning” - unwinding of a loose thread, repeated twisting with simultaneous stretching - obtaining strong yarn;
weaving - weaving weft and warp threads;
checking the quality of the fabric - removing small knots and clumps of yarn;
felting – passing the fabric through water at a temperature of 45°C, causing shrinkage in the warp and weft direction up to 30%, hiding the original weaving;
painting - the resulting gray loden is painted in centrifuges and dried;
napping - raising and leveling the pile (long-pile loden);
shearing - obtaining a short pile (short-pile loden);
press ironing.

In total there are six main ways of obtaining loden and six possibilities for final finishing. Each technology is unique and patented.

What to wear it with

The special role of a summer coat without lining is protection from gusts of wind and low temperatures. Therefore, most women use it as a warm cape, and after that, as a “glamorous” attribute. It is possible to choose a thin coat for everyday wear, or you can choose it for an evening outfit. It all depends on the style, as well as the base from which it is created.

For example, you go for an evening walk and wear a summer “dress”. A coat made of thin, “airy”, “developing” material goes perfectly with it. Complete your look with heels and an elegant bag. You also need to choose jewelry to match your image. The main thing is to do it competently, so that the image looks sublime or strict, it all depends on your preferences and wishes.

If you prefer trousers or jeans, then feel free to choose a coat with a slightly thick base. For shoes, choose flat shoes, moccasins, or you can also wear sneakers. Add to the look a “non-bulky” handbag thrown over your shoulder and a beautiful, light, colorful scarf.

A coat with lace elements is perfect for an evening look.
You can also choose coats made from transparent and shiny materials. The main thing is that it is a classic color. This summer coat goes perfectly with any style of dress. [Total: 0 Average: 0/5]

How to choose a good Loden

When choosing a material, you should pay attention to the following:

texture and thickness: it should be the same throughout the entire piece;
pile: hairs should be the same length and lie in the same direction;
coloring: the fabric should be free of stains, discoloration and other similar defects;
Price: Loden doesn't come cheap. If the cost looks suspiciously low, most likely the material will be of poor quality or a fake.

Loden coat
Important! To check, you need to squeeze the edge of the material in your fist. When you unclench your fingers, the fabric should quickly return to its previous shape and there should be no marks on it.

You might be interested in: Features and properties of organic cotton

Loden fabric: how to work with it

Sewing from loden fabric is extremely simple: it does not fray at the edges, is easy to cut and does not cause any difficulties. However, it is recommended to follow some tips:

you need to check the fabric for shrinkage and, if necessary, treat it in advance with water or steam;
It is worth checking whether the material will cling to clothing. If so, you will have to make a lining;
You can’t hang clothes on hangers, they will stretch out and become deformed;
The seams should be taped with non-woven tape for strength.

Working with fabric

From the history

Boiled wool appeared on the domestic market recently, but the history of its production goes back more than three centuries. Loden is home to the state of Tyrol, located in western Austria. Residents of the highlands, escaping the cold during the harsh snowy winters, wore rough clothes that were handmade from sheep's wool.

One day, one of the shepherds accidentally washed his clothes in too hot water. Imagine the surprise of the owner of the seemingly damaged item when he noticed that the wool had become soft and very dense, almost impermeable to air.

In the second half of the 19th century, the need for felted textiles began to increase, and the first enterprise for the production of loden was built in Austria. Boiled wool began to be supplied to many countries around the world. In Russia, it was bought exclusively for sewing outerwear, which was worn in bad weather.