What is Wool Washing?
PLUS: How you can help fire emergency relief efforts
Traditional woollen garments, whether knitted or woven, are a staple piece of our wardrobe. A heritage item that often gives us a warm feeling, a bit like being wrapped in a cuddle by a fond relative such as a grandmother or close friend. The distinctive smell of sheep’s wool or a patched up old elbow with darned stitches take many of us back to fond memories of our childhood. I would argue that an old knitted fairisle jumper with traditional patterning with a few ladders and holes from moth ridden wear and tear, all adds to the characteristics and trademark of the garment.
Scotland and Ireland, countries historically intrinsic to the woollen industry and steeped in tradition and heritage, are often the places that many of us would expect to find a hardy Shetland jumper or an Aran sweater that come directly from the local sheep and farms in the region.
Both countries were world leading wool producers in the 13th century and flourished in the Medieval period. They were famous for not only producing some of the best quality woollen garments in the world, but also the exceptional level of woven craftsmanship and high quality tartan and tweed clothing achieved in history.
However, when shopping for knitted garments made in both Scotland and Ireland, the obvious assumption is that these pieces still follow the same level of quality, craftsmanship and full traceability back to the local sheep, farmers and land of source. Due to the rise in non native wool after the Industrial Revolution sadly this is no longer the case leading to much confusion for consumers. With labels such as ‘Made in Scotland’ or ‘Made in Ireland’ this creates the assumption that these pieces are made from farm to garment within the local region using either Scottish or Irish wool.
Merino wool actually comes from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and China, meaning it not only has a huge carbon footprint, but risks coming from farms that adhere to ‘mulesing’ a common mutilation practise which involves (the removal of sections of the skin from around the tail usually without anaesthetic) to reduce fly strike. Due to controversy and animal welfare concerns this practice is illegal in the UK under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 meaning that huge scrutiny needs to be applied when importing untraceable merino wool and also highlights the importance of certifications such as the Responsible Wool Standard to ensure that high levels of animal welfare have been applied.
This common practice, which is often described as ‘wool washing’ leads the consumer down a path of confusion, when we hear things such as firmly Scottish ‘roots’ we assume that the garment is made within that region using the local wool. With added images of the sheep, farmers and high level of craftsmanship, or even vintage footage airing in these very outlets showing rural women spinning and knitting local wool from their region, this adds misleading assumptions that the garment is traditional in its roots.
When visiting a London based Scottish wool shop this year, I noticed this exact problem. The website suggested that the garments and products were created in both Scotland and Ireland but rarely travelled to the rest of the UK, particularly places such as London to showcase the incredible years of craftsmanship and tradition.
When browsing the shop, I quickly realised that many of the garments were made using merino wool which inevitably will have travelled thousands of miles across sea, from where it was farmed to be merely spun and finished in the UK. Not only is the labelling confusing (unless you are a wool expert), using terms such as ‘Spun in Scotland’ convinces the average shopper that the wool is Scottish and comes from Scottish sheep and farms. This is not only disappointing, but highlights the lack of regional wool that actually goes into the apparel industry, something that was such an inherent part of the wool industry and dating back to the Viking era.
This presents challenges when shopping for heritage pieces that come directly from British sheep with misleading labelling and ‘wool washing’ only adding to the confusion. This was particularly prevalent when researching for The Great British Wool Revival, with many brands presenting products that appear to be made using regional wool but in fact when explored further they use merino wool.
There still appears to be a stigma around regional wool being too scratchy for the skin and that merino wool is the only viable alternative, however regional wool can be soft and suitable for the skin by designing for breed, an example of this would be a Bluefaced Leicester or Romney sheep which has a high lustre and similar micron count to a merino. This is something that The Woolist aims to demystify by providing an online resource to show all of the British wool breeds, their characteristics and what they are best suited to.
This also helps to support policies such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) both EU policies which require that all products on EU markets are safe and compliant with reinforced product traceability requirements and end of life practises. Although the UK is no longer part of the EU, it still remains our closest trading partner and would encourage the UK’s transition to a more sustainable and circular economy while supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
During my masters research, I spent time working at a holistic fibre farm where I sheared, carded, spun and knitted my own jumper observing both the micro and macro wool farming systems in the UK. I also observed the relationships and narratives that can be told when working from farm all the way through to the final garment. By using local wool this helps to support farmers in the region while creating the most climate beneficial garment for your skin as the wool is suited to the country and climate that you are in.
Hopefully with the rise of more initiatives such as The Wool Library and The Great British Wool Revival this will encourage more brands to use local wool to showcase their traditional practices and deep rooted heritage. It would be great to see more Scottish and Irish wool back in the garment industry here in the UK!
Tamara Cincik Talks Oliviero Toscani’s ‘Controversial’ Campaigns on BBC Radio 5’s Wake Up To Money after the fashion photographers death was announced
Fashion photographer Oliviero Toscani, known for his shock advertising campaigns, has died aged 82.
Toscani turned large advertising budgets into sociopolitical commentaries, famously through his work with Italian clothing brand Benetton. He used advertising as a vehicle for ideas, for provoking reactions, for forcing people to see the world as it is. Toscani was known for images that drew attention to social themes, ranging from HIV/Aids and racism to the death penalty and mafia killings, in the United Colors of Benetton advertising campaigns.
Fashion Roundtable’s CEO, Tamara Cincik, spoke on BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake Up To Money this morning about Oliviero Toscani and the impact he had on the fashion and advertising industries. To listen, click HERE and skip ahead to 43:40 minutes to hear the Oliviero Toscani segment.
LA Wildfires: Help Emergency Relief Efforts
As wildfires still burn in Los Angeles, emergency relief efforts need your support. At least 24 people have died in the fires and 23 others are missing, while more than 90,000 are under evacuation orders.
Often, giving money directly is the quickest and best way to help those who need it most in an emergency of this scale.
If you can, please consider donating to one of the relief organisations below:
L.A. Fire Department Foundation
Ventura County Community Foundation
American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
Kantamanto Market Fire: Donate to the Or Foundation
A huge clean up operation is taking place after a devastating fire broke out at Kantamanto Market in Ghana, out at one of the world’s biggest secondhand clothes markets. As much as two-thirds of the market has been destroyed and there are estimates that 8,000 people have been affected, though this number is expected to rise.
According to The Or Foundation, which campaigns against textile waste in Ghana, 15m secondhand garments from countries in the global north such as the UK, the US and China arrive at the market every week. The Kantamanto community is responsible for recirculating 25m pieces of secondhand clothing every month through resale, reuse, repair and remanufacturing.
The Or Foundation has committed $1 million USD to emergency relief efforts. They are looking for additional funds to help support these major efforts
Donate to The Or Foundation here
Event: Berlin Fashion Week, 31st January - 3rd February 2025
Berlin Fashion Week (BFW) 2025 will take place from 31st January - 3rd February 2025. In recent seasons, the BFW has successfully repositioned itself, becoming an integral part of the international fashion calendar with a steadily growing international audience.
Sustainability is a fundamental element of the BFW and greenwashing checks have also been carried out regularly in past seasons. These checks have shown that many of the presenting labels and organised events in Berlin already act responsibly and integrate sustainability as a central element of their work.
Fashion Roundtable’s CEO, Tamara Cincik, will be part of the Metamorphosis – Dialogues about Change talk series on 31st January. The series features international and national experts in circular economy and the fashion industry, engaging in dialogue about the various facets and essential transformations needed in our industry.
Infuriating how the push for profits manipulates how we the buyers view products.
Not only home grown wool!
Mulesing is an appalling practise and that alone is why I won't touch merino.
Great article, thanks for highlighting this and the lengths they go to effectively hoodwink us.