Wool
ORGANIC WOOL IS PRODUCED ETHICALLY AND IT WARMS YOUR BODY AND SOUL
Our wool is ethically produced organic merino wool. The wool is produced in South America, Argentina and Uruguay. There are many aspects included in ecological production e.g. environmental and social factors, which our supplier supports by getting raw material from producers using this method of production. The organic merino wool is produced according to the criteria of IVN (Internationaler Verband der Naturtextilwirtschaft e.V.). The yarn is spun by a german spinnery, and it is certified by IMO (Institute for Marketecology). More about organic wool: www.naturtextil.com and www.imo.ch Merno wool
The superior qualities of wool are many...
Wool feels soft, elastic and pleasant - Lets air through and does not cause perspiration - Absorbs moisture without feeling wet, warms you even when damp - Neutralises skin excretions - Fire resistant. The sheep is man's oldest domestic animal. Its wool has been used for clothing by man for as long as 10,000 years. Scientists around the world are trying to copy the properties of wool with man-made fibres, but without success.
Wool is inimitable...
The reasons for the unique characteristics of wool are to be found in its chemical and physical properties: crimp, elasticity and an ability to absorb moisture which cannot be matched. The crimp derives from the difference in tension between the ortocortex and paracortex of the main tissue. Products made of crimped wool are porous, enhancing thermal insulation. The crimp also gives the fibres elasticity and resilience. Because of the elasticity, the insulating properties of wool do not fade with time and use. Wool does not crease and quickly returns to shape.
Wool is a warm fibre...
After absorbing moisture, chemical reactions take place in its fibres. These reactions release heat and make the fibre feel warm against the skin. Wool is capable of absorbing up to 35 per cent water without feeling damp.
Silk
Silk feels luxurious...
Silk binds and retains heat, breathes naturally, and is cool in hot weather and warm in cold. Silk fibre binds plenty of air into itself, which acts as heat insulation.
Thank to its fibre´s smoothness and lightness, silk feels warmer than wool and its surface cools wonderfully the hot skin.
Silk is suitable even to to the most sensitive skin. Our manufacturer uses pure real silk which is still containing some sericin i.e. silk glue. Silk also consists of the same elements as human skin, and therefore its lovely touch makes it feel like a second skin.
The so-called Shappe silk, used by our suppliers, has been spun from the filaments brushed from the cocoon surface, which still contains 3-5 % sericine. In the silk industry the sericine usually is removed by cooking, and kept as a highly appreciated rawmaterial for the cosmetic industry. When a new silk garment is moist or wet, the smell of sericin is noticeable, but it will fade after a few washes.
Our silk products have not been chemically treated during production and the silk thread we are using has been given the safe textile certificate Öko-Tex Standard 100.
SilkWool
An excellent combination..
*70 % merino wool
*30 % silk
Our silk wool garments are made of mixture of real silk and soft merino wool. Silk wool combines the best characteristics of both these natural fibres: it warms and feels comfortably soft against your skin.
Cotton
WE USE PURE INDIAN ORGANIC COTTON
Ecological cotton cultivation in a nutshell..
* biological pest control
* organic fertilising
* crop rotation
* picked by hand
* social responsibility for the farmers and their families
The portion of cotton in the amount of textile fibre produced in the world is close to one half. It is therefore a very important cultivated plant. The portion of the organic cultivation is however only under a percentage, but the demand and sales for organic cotton has risen strongly over the last years.
Indian Gulab Rubsingh is one of the over 8000 contract cultivators, who produce organic cotton for BioRe. The company is Swiss textile company Remei AG’s Indian joint enterprise. Rubsingh has improved economically after they moved into producing organic cotton in 2004. Chemical farming was found to be too expensive and the harvests were not very good. When using chemical fertilisers, there is a great need for a lot of water. The same concerns pesticides. The substances are expensive and for these, an expensive loan is required.
Organic farming requires only work. The pesticides are prepared on location from natural raw materials, for example from the neem-tree, okra, onion and chilli etc. Rubsingh consider it important that the organic fertilisers and pesticide materials are safe to use. Villagers have experienced diverse irritations caused by chemical fertilisers. These have resulted in illness and dizziness.
BioRe’s cotton weaving plant in Kasrawad, is India’s first cotton handling agency, which has been awarded the A-8000 standard. The agency holds fast regulated work times, a guaranteed minimum wage and does not utilise child labour. You can read more on Indian organic cotton at www.remei.ch