​About the Materials: Lambswool (2024)

About the Materials: Lambswool

The Lanam Shop is truly fortunate to have a dedicated andinformed customer base. Over time, customers have asked questions, sharedknowledge and experiences, and helped shape our seasonal collections with theirfeedback. We have found that the more we can share with our customers about theexceptional materials, remarkable craftsmanship, and pertinent characteristicsof all our garments, a natural distinction between our products and othersemerges. Moreover, we wish to share this knowledge with anyone merelyinterested in the materials and time-honored techniques used to bring to lifeour garments. We want to dedicate some time to our extensive selection of men’s Lambswool sweaters and women’slambswool sweaters.

What is Lambswool?

By definitionlambswool comes from the first clipping of young lambs no older than sevenmonths of age. The classification “lambswool” is a federally protectedclassification, honored by many governments and trade organizations around theworld. The wool industry in New Zealand, Australia, England, Scotland, and theUnited States take this definition very seriously, as they are some of thelargest producers of lambswool. While lambswool is a classification of a typeof wool, it is not restricted to any particular variety or species of sheep;and lamb can produce lambswool, so long as the fiber is clipped prior tobecoming seven-months-old. Manufacturers with dubious intentions, located inless-strict countries, often miss represent the purity of the material andmight even use inferior fiber (guard hair, not inner hairs) to manufacture poorquality imitations. While cheaper, they are not true lambswool and will notpossess the desirable properties of a lambswool sweater.

Lambswool is finer inconsistency and slightly shorter in length than that collected from adultsheep. Placing an exact micron count on lambswool is difficult but typically itis between 21.5-15 microns. All wool is graded on a fineness scale, which isillustrated below. Lambswool cannot exceed 55mm in length.

The finer the gradethe softer, warmer, and more desirable it is. Moreover, a finer grade will helpdecrease the overall weight and bulk of a garment, while simultaneouslyincreasing the thermal retention properties.

Where is Lambswool from?

Lambswool can comefrom any place where there are young lambs. Traditionally, lambswool comes fromNew Zealand and Australia and recently there has been a decline in English andScotish Lambswool available on the market. American ranchers produce small amountsof lambswool but it is generally not as highly esteemed as New Zealand orScottish lambswool.

How does Lambswool differ from “similar” materials?

Unlike traditionalwool, lambswool has a lower weight-to-warmth-index. While neither an officialmetric, nor scientific, the warmth-to-weight-ratio helps explain how muchwarmth a sweater provides relative to whatever bulk, shape, and weight thewearer has to carry. When price is added into this equation, lambswool becomesan even more attractive material. Speaking generally and without addressing thelambswool produced by each individual type of sheep, lambswool is wonderfullywarm and an excellent value… just be sure it is pure and not cut with other,potentially scratchy wools.

Our lambswool iscollected from young lambs living in the open fields of southern Australia. Weuse wool from pedigree sheep, specially bred for their extremely desirablewarmth-to-weight-ratio and remarkable hand-feel. Extremely soft and warm. Inpart, this is not only because the wool is superior but also due to the fact weonly use fiber collected from the inner coat of the lamb. Sheep, like manyanimals, have a coarse outer coat called guard hair and a soft downy innercoat. Our sweaters are never scratchy because we only use fibers from thisinner coat. Furthermore, this inner coat is rich with natural lanolin. A softwaxy substance, lanolin keeps the coat soft and delicate.

What is the refining process for Lambswool?

Like most wools,lambswool needs to be sorted, carded, dyed, and spun. Firstly, the raw wool iscarefully sorted mechanically. In this step the thicker, coarser guard hair isseparated from the soft and far more desirable inner hair. The outer guard hairwill not make for a comfortable sweater. Secondly, the wool is cardedmechanically. The raw wool will make dozens of passes through the cardingmachine. With each pass, the individual wool fibers will start to separate andwill become aligned. In order to make quality yarn, the individual fibers mustall be lined up in the same direction. Thirdly, the wool is dyed. Raw fibersare dumped into large vats containing dyeing compounds. These can be organic orinorganic, with the finest dyes being derived from entirely natural origins.Not all-natural dyes are “quality.” Often, natural dyes cannot bind to thefiber with the same strength that synthesized dyes can. Remember that inorganicand organic has a technical chemistry definition, meaning carbon molecules arenot or are present (respectively). This definition differs from say, an organicfarm.

What styles are available in Lambswool?

Our lambswoolofferings are extensive, to say the very least. With seven men’s stylesavailable in 36 colors, there is a combination (or two, or three…) to makeanyone happy; perhaps that explains why the Two-Ply Lambswool V-Neck isone of our best-selling Christmas gifts. The ideal price point with the exceptionalcraftsmanship and fiber quality you have come to expect from its cashmere counterpart, it is ahandsome and practical way to say you care. Also available in a Two-Ply Lambswool Crew Neck and Two-Ply Lambswool Cardigan weproudly stock an “American” version without the traditional English saddleshoulder design; crew neck, v-neck, and cardigan. For those in desperateneed of added warmth under their blazer or sport coat, our vest has proven a generational favorite. We alsooffer a selection of styles and colors from royal warrant holder Johnstons ofElgin. Their three-ply lambswool products include a classically cut crew neck and v-neck.

Our collection ofLambswool products for ladies is crafted for us by Johnstons of Elgin, andincludes four elegant styles, suitable for daily or business occasions.Available in a suite of classic, soft colors our style selections include anessential cardigan, versatile crew neck & v-neck, and casual quarter-zip.

What are the advantages of wearing Lambswool?

The biggest advantageis the ability to cut down bulk, while maximizing warmth and comfort. Softerthan most wools, a lambswool sweater will last longer because of the naturaldeposits of lanolin wax enveloping the fibers, completely.

How is The Lanam Shop’s Lambswool collection unique?

Our collection oflambswool sweaters is distinguished from others because of our range of sizes,color availability, and different style options. With sizes available fromchest size 40 to 50, we can fit a large range of people with considerable ease.We also offer made-to-order size and colors up to size 60, but you have tocontact customer service in order todetermine availability, lead times, and in-stock yarns. No store compares toour availability. Moreover, with three dozen colors to select from optionsabound. With the option to select features like saddle shoulder, set-inshoulder, and turn-back cuffs, there is a personalized combination ready foryour wardrobe. With limited-edition colors added every year, it is worthstaying in the loop by signing up for emails from The Lanam Shop. You will bethe first to know about exclusive colors, pre-orders, and trunk shows… don’tmiss out! You can sign up by navigating to the lower right hand corner of our homepage andfurnishing your information in the sign up box.

Index of Terms:

Card: a mechanicalprocess that detangles wool, allowing it to be arranged in a single direction.This is helpful when the wool is spun.

Guard Hair: the thickouter layer of wool fiber. It acts as a waterproofing layer and protects thesoft inner layer. Guard hair or the “outer coat” is not suitable for thecrafting of quality sweaters.

Lamb: a baby sheep.

Lambswool: wool fromthe first clipping of a young lamb, no older than seven months of age. Thesefibers cannot be longer than 50mm. This is an internationally recognizedclassification.

Lanolin: a naturallyoccurring compound found in animal wool. It is especially abundant in the woolof young lambs. It helps maintain the softness of the inner coat and possesseswaterproofing qualities.

Micron: or micrometer(µm)a unit of measurement within the System International (SI) equal toone-millionth of a meter or 1/25000 of an inch.

Warmth-to-heat-ratio:An unofficial, unscientific measurement that is widely used in the garmentindustry. It seeks to “quantify” (via relatively ranking) the heat retentionproperties of a sweater in comparison to the weight and bulk of a sweater. Thisis a factor that can be tested and determined in a lab setting, though we havenot done that.

The Lanam Shop

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