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SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The calendar says it’s spring, but there still might be some downright chilly weather to deal with, especially at dawn and dusk. If your exercise of choice is cycling, you have to learn to roll with the conditions.

That means learning about layering, about pulling on and peeling off garments, depending on changing conditions. That means covering up legs when the mercury dips below 65 and slipping insulated booties over shoes when it’s below 45. It means arm warmers, vests, jackets.

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Tips for cool-wather cycling

[+] Enlarge. (3 pictures) McClatchy-Tribune Terri Gilliland wears cycling booties to keep her feet warm.

It can mean fenders, flashers and headlights. It can mean grabbing the garden hose after a ride to get grime off your bike ASAP.

Cool-weather cycling also might inspire you to make use of wool, the original wicking material, which keeps you warm, eases moisture away from skin and, believe it or not, doesn’t absorb odors. Wool socks are a mainstay. Wool jerseys have made a comeback, and there are even merino wool base layers, aka undergarments.

For Terri Gilliland and other year-rounders, cycling through the thick of winter is an exercise in perseverance, in trial and error.

“I love riding in cold weather. As long as you’re prepared, it’s wonderful,” said Gilliland, a restaurant owner.

She commutes about 12 miles each way from her home to work.

“I’m a big believer that when you can get out there, you should get out and ride,” she said.

See more here.

The Toronto Sun reports:

Traditional fabrics used in innovative ways reintroduced the design duo of Gaudet on Day 2 of Toronto Fashion Week.

Partners Norm and Gio Gaudet brought warmth to winter wear but their stylish silhouettes for fall-winter 2010 at LG Fashion Week in Toronto won’t have anyone hibernating.

“Women don’t need to be hidden — they can still be shapely,” said Norm Gaudet.

In a show which paid a haunting homage to late Olympian luger Nodar Kumartisvili, the crowd was serenaded by the Trio Zari Choir and dazzled by the Kakheti Dance Ensemble before 36 outfits were strutted out on the catwalk.

A melancholic Georgian tune was sung as the luger’s picture was shown on large screens. The mood quickly turned from solemn to joyous, however, as the energetic dancers, clad in traditional Georgian outfits, spun their way on the runway to the delight of the crowd.

The Gaudets, who have a studio in Toronto, but are based in Georgia, proved to be masters also in mixing. Traditional felt was combined with other textiles including Merino wool, organza, chiffon, faux leather and faux feathers with fantastic results.

“It’s an old fabric, but we’ve been mastering new techniques,” said Norm Gaudet of the felt, which he added was traditional to the Eastern Bloc. “It’s been around for centuries but what we’re doing is revolutionary.”

The collection was inspired by Georgia and its mystical heroines, said Gio Gaudet.

Thought many of the outfits were long-sleeved and featured high collars, they were streamlined to show off shapely silhouettes.

Glittery embellishments included gold lace on the models faces and threads sewn through the fabric of the coats. Heavy fabrics were strewn with lighthearted paint-like splatters.

The design duo, who is known for creating their own hand made wool and outerwear, expanded their repertoire past its usual outerwear offerings.

For the men, the pair created an organza suit in violet. The final looks was a corseted organza and Merino wedding dress with ruffled skirting.  See more here.

Finisterre specialises in making a select range of environmentally friendly technical clothes from recycled or natural fibres, such as merino wool. But at the heart of the company ethos is a desire to make clothes that last. “There are lots of surf brands out there making really crap high-street stuff,” says Kay. “We want to go back to making the kind of jacket your dad still has after 30 years. Yeah, it might look a bit tired, but he still likes it and it still works. We don’t want that cycle where you get rid of stuff quickly. We want people to keep our stuff for a long time.”

Yet, despite this apparent lack of interest in being in fashion, their plain, subtly branded clothes have become achingly fashionable in the surfing world. They even have a top-10 big-wave surfer, Carlos Burle, on board as a brand ambassador. The Brazilian, who has been seen standing on some of the most fearsome waves on earth, could have been sponsored by any of surfing’s giant brands for millions of dollars, but instead chose Finisterre. “He didn’t want just another sticker on his board – he wanted to be involved in something bigger than that,” Kay explains.

To read more please visit The Independent

Australian Wool Innovation has partnered with Hong Kong PolyU’s Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC), the country’s most prestigious design school, to showcase Merino wool in contemporary design at its annual graduation fashion show.

AWI sponsored two awards: the Woolmark Platinum Award and the Flinders Merino and AWI Platinum Award, co-sponsored by Flinders Merino.

2009 marks the third year AWI has supported the coveted awards, which aim to inspire and educate students about Merino wool, the natural fibre for fashion.

The 24 graduating students were from the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Scheme in Fashion and Textiles and the Higher Diploma Scheme in Fashion and Textile Studies.

Each student competed for 12 individually sponsored awards including the overall grand award, which was sponsored by Avery Dennison Hong Kong B.V.

The judging panel of nine of Hong Kong’s local fashion industry identities included Mark Baumann, visual director of Lane Crawford (Hong Kong) Ltd, and Angelia Teo, head of content, Asia Pacific, WGSN.

The Woolmark Platinum Award required the students to create a collection comprising approximately 80pc Australian Merino wool.

The winner was Gallery Tam, whose collection was inspired by Hyaku Monogatari, a Japanese parlour game from the 1600s used to summon supernatural entities.

Tam’s collection was sponsored by Multitex Group and Pine Hover Ltd.

The Flinders Merino and AWI Platinum Award also required an 80pc Australian Merino wool content.

to read more on this article visit Stock Journal

March 17, 2009
Ultrafine Merino shawl stars in Paris Fashion Week
Posted by Fashion Trend Creator

A-list celebrities and international models were last week treated to the best Merino wool Australia has to offer at an exclusive event at Paris Fashion Week to celebrate one of the world’s most promising young designers Alexander Wang.

Guests at a private dinner party for the exclusive retailer Colette were presented with gifts of ultrafine Merino shawls from the Jemala company from Victoria. Australian Wool Innovation, which introduced its top suppliers to Wang to help create his new Merino looks, has sourced what are unquestionably some of the most the luxurious wraps available. They are made from extremely rare, ultrafine Australian Merino wool, with each finely woven shawl made from a world-record-setting calibre of fleece; so fine that 8 kilometers of yarn are needed for each wrap.

Each specially bred Merino sheep is raised in a sheltered habitat to protect its precious fiber from the elements. Protective jackets ensure a perfectly uniform Merino wool. The result is a fibre that is softer, yet stronger than cashmere – and is available exclusively from Australia. It’s extremely rare: every year enough fleece is shorn for only a few thousand shawls.

During the event Alexander Wang commented on the fineness of the fabric which the wool created.

“I worked with Australian Merino for autumn 2009 to create a more refined and tailored collection. The feel of this scarf is simply incomparable. I hope our guests liked it as much as I do,” he said.

Director of Jemala, Ian Gill said the decision to partner with a young designer like Alexander Wang was not only good for Jemala, but good for Australian wool growers.

read more of this article about Ultrafine Merino Wool at Fashion Breaking.

Australian Merino brings ‘cool’ to Spring-Summer fashion

8 May 2009, Sydney – Australian Merino wool showed its ‘cool’ side in a number of spring/summer 09/10 designer collection shows at the 2009 Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) – affirming the fibre’s reputation as the natural choice for year round fashion.

Local designers including fashion royalty Jayson Brunsdon and new guard stars – Ben Pollitt (of Friedrich Gray), Gary Bigeni and Konstantina Mittas – wowed buyers, the media and other members of the fashion pack with their diverse collections of super soft and featherweight wool jerseys that demonstrated Australian Merino wool’s naturally luxurious feel, breathability and versatility.

Australian Wool Innovation CEO Brenda McGahan says this year’s RAFW saw an unprecedented number of Australian fashion designers using Australian Merino wool in their spring/summer collections.

read the rest of this article about merino wool at the Knitting Industry.

A customer sent this email to us recently. We thought it was worth sharing.

I had the chance to get together with some friends for a hike this past weekend and do a 14 miler along a portion of the Appalachian Trail. I’d been wanting to give my newly purchased (from you guys at merinogear.com) merino wool t-shirt a try in the hot weather. The temperature at the trail head was about 80 degrees. With my daypack on, the shirt felt light and comfortable and I didn’t feel any rubbing at the seams.

About 2 miles in, all of us were getting hot and I noticed my friends were sweating more than me. Although my shirt was wet, it wasn’t dripping like the cotton and synthetic shirts my friends were wearing. The merino wool fabrics seemed to be breathing nicely and the moisture was evaporating off my shirt. As we gained elevation and the temperature dropped, my shirt started drying pretty quickly. By the time we hit our summit, my friends were wet and therefore cold. However, my merino t-shirt was dry, warm and didn’t stick to my skin at all.

On the way down the mountain, we discussed outdoor gear and the performance of various equipment and clothing. We all wore merino socks and have for years. Since switching from cotton we’ve noticed less friction on our feet and no blisters as a result. Our feet always stay relatively dry in merino socks and our hiking boots don’t smell like they used to after wearing cotton socks. It was great to brag to my friends about my merino shirt’s performance on this hike and they all said they’re going to buy one before our next hike. Don’t worry, I told them about you guys at merinogear.com and about your huge merino wool clothing selection. Also, just wanted to say thanks, and let you guys know I was extremely impressed with my merino t-shirt and can’t wait to hit the trail again. I don’t yet own any merino wool shorts but plan to start looking for a pair immediately. I can also tell you that my merino t-shirt didn’t smell at all once we got back to the car.

Cheers,
-Tom

Thanks Tom!
-The merinogear.com team

Perfect 4-Season Clothing

Merino Wool clothing is being described as the perfect four season clothing.

You don’t have to love sheep but you do have to thank them for their coat. By now you’ve probably heard that Merino sheep are a special bread. Merino wool is the softest and strongest clothing fabric available today. However, it doesn’t stop there. The same wool that keeps Merino sheep warm in harsh winters and cool in scorching summers is now available to you and me in the form of all weather Merino clothing. The Merino fibers are long and fine which results in a luxurious feel (i.e. no itching) and wicking power greater than any other fabric on the market today.

Merino wool aids in regulating body temperature by controlling the rate of evaporative cooling. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know this means staying cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Each fiber of Merino wool contains thousands of tiny air pockets which act like insulation, protecting you against the heat or cold. The unique attributes of Merino wool combine to diminish the damp feeling you can get from wearing wet clothing.

No matter the weather or time of year, make sure you’re wearing Merino wool clothing. Just don’t forget to thank those sheep!

Merino is Organic

An interesting article was recently written for “The Organic Report” which touts Merino Wool’s organic qualities.  A comparison is made between Merino wool clothing and synthetics.  The author notes that synthetics are not recyclable and produce pollutants when destroyed.

Merino wool products have been popular in many countries for years.  However, standards for organic fiber have only recently been established in the United States.  Many designers are now seeing Merino wool as not only eco-friendly but also a popular material for designer apparel.

The article points out that Merino wool is possibly the most absorbent fabric ever developed and that it absorbs 10 times the moisture vapor of comparable synthetics without feeling wet.  Merino also repels liquids, is flame retardant and controls odor build-up over time which is a big problem with synthetics.

As someone who owns many Merino wool products, I enjoyed reading the author’s point that “Beautiful organic Merino wool apparel is not only in our future, it’s here today and it’s here to stay”.