Denim has always been a popular choice for daily wear among people of all ages. Comprising of cotton fibre woven compactly in a twill weave, denim provides high strength, durability and wear resistance. Wool fibres have always been valued for its warmth, insulation and softness. Wool denim aims to create a composite by weaving wool fibres as denim to create a versatile fabric that offers the best of both.
Properties
Softness and Comfort: Wool fibres lend a softer hand feel to denim, reducing stiffness and enhancing drape and flexibility.
Thermal Insulation: Wool’s insulating properties make wool denim suitable for both cold and warm climates. It has good adaptability and controls body temperature effectively.
Odour Resistance: Wool has antibacterial properties that inhibits the growth of odour-creating bacteria. Hence, the garment becomes suitable for regular heavy-duty wear.
Moisture Management: Wool fibres can absorb moisture without becoming soggy. It gives the wearer dry and comfortable feeling.
Durability: If blended with elastane or polyester, it gains enhanced flexibility. It can retain original shape even after several wears and washes.
Sustainability: Wool is biodegradable. When ethically sourced, it reduces the carbon footprint of denim garments.
How it is made
Spinning:
Fine Merino wool fibres are selected and blended with cotton or performance fibres. The blend contains 20 to 60 per cent wool, depending on use. Using ring spinning, these blended fibres are then spun into yarns for uniformity and reduced pilling.
Weaving Structure:
The blended yarns are woven in a twill weave, following the distinct diagonal texture of denim. Wool and cotton yarns are woven in the weft and warp directions respectively. Warp yarns require more strength, facilitated by cotton, whereas weft yarns require softness, facilitated by wool.
Dyeing and Finishing:
Indigo dyeing gives off the signature denim look. Moreover, the dyeing and finishing processes are adjusted to retain the properties of wool fibres. Enzyme washes and resin finishes create pre-worn textures.
Woolmark’s Wool Denim
Woolmark’s Wool Denim provides thermoregulation with wool inside, which increases an extra element of warmth even in the cold winter. Newer combinations such as wool-lyocell, wool-linen/hemp and wool synthetic blends – are used for multifarious applications.
Wool and Prince
Wool and Prince offers Wool denim that can be used with minimal wash. Jeans offer comfort and style at the same time.
NIKKE-TEXTILE’S WOOL DENIM
NIKKE offers luxury denim produced by specialized spinning techniques. It includes 100% wool indigo denim that is also stretchable. Besides, they provide convenient denim wash with improved washdown effects and excellent colour fastness.
References:
https://www.woolmark.com/industry/product-development/product-innovations/wool-denim/
https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/10665/wool-denim-a-fusion-of-heritage-performance-and-sustainability
