In our quest for natural and sustainable materials, we've selected Lavalan wool as our premium insulation for parkas and jackets. This wool comes exclusively from Norwegian and Swiss sheep. It's a significant choice, considering a parka or jacket can contain twice the wool of our T-shirts. Notably, European wool doesn't have a non-mulesed certification because European sheep are never subjected to mulesing, a practice only used in Australia.

Global databases assign a single value to wool, overlooking crucial differences between Australian Merino and European wool. This oversimplification is flawed. In Europe, sheep aren't bred specifically for wool, leading to low wool prices. Attributing all carbon emissions from sheep farming to wool production is therefore inaccurate. Recognizing this, Climate Partner has assigned European Wool a distinct value of 5.9 kg CO2 emissions per kg of wool, significantly lower than Australian Merino Wool's value, which is often used as the standard for CO2 emissions in the industry.

Lavalan European wool, conversely a byproduct of sheep farming, supports landscaping and biodiversity. Half of European sheep wool goes unused due to low demand, despite annual shearing being necessary. Sheep play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, preventing erosion and landslides, and preserving open landscapes. Lavalan aims to revitalize locally sourced wool by ensuring fair compensation for farmers and educating consumers about its functional benefits.

We've partnered with Lavalan and Trace My Wool to provide our customers with detailed insight into the origin of their insulation wool. We're also developing a similar feature to track the sourcing of all wools used in our garments, especially wool from Southern Hemisphere countries producing the high-quality merino wool we use in base and mid-layers. The map below provides detailed information about the sources and processing locations of our wool.

1. True. A typical sheep's annual wool yield of 2.3-3.6 kg is indeed sufficient for making about 20 sweaters.
2. True. Wool, nails, and horns are all composed of keratin, a protein that forms various biological structures.
3. False. Itchiness is caused by coarser fibers and doesn't correlate with warmth; fine wools can be very warm without being itchy.
4. True. Wool's high nitrogen and water content make it naturally flame-resistant and self-extinguishing.
5. True. Overgrown wool can cause overheating, mobility issues, and skin infections in sheep, potentially leading to illness or death.
6. False. When performed by skilled shearers, the shearing process is not painful for sheep.
7. False. While Merino is very fine, cashmere is generally finer with fibers typically 14-16 microns in diameter compared to Merino's 17-24 microns.
8. True. Wool fibers can absorb up to 30% of their weight in moisture without feeling damp, thus maintaining insulation even when wet.
9. True. The complex fiber structure of wool can trap and neutralize odor molecules, naturally reducing odors.
10. True. Lanolin, a natural moisturizer and emollient found in wool, is widely used in skincare and cosmetic products.