Article By: Gaurav Dhakal
As winter approaches, our response to clothing is to switch from cotton to wool clothes. We wear dark clothing throughout the winter because it absorbs sunlight in winter to keep us warm. We avoid cotton as it is lightweight, and air can easily pass, keeping us exposed to cold, windy weather. But have you ever wondered why are woolen clothes preferred in winter?
When it’s winter, we take the best woolen cloth out of our cupboard and hope it’s not torn or smelly. We search for a woolen piece of fabric like woolen sweaters, woolen mufflers, or woolen warmer while shopping in the winter. It does not matter how small the piece of clothing is; we want them to be woolen.
People prefer woolen clothes in winter because they insulate the body well and shield it from the outer cold elements. As a result, the body parts, like the hands, neck, and chest, usually exposed to cold environments, get warm.
But how exactly do woolen clothes keep us warm in winter?
Wool has many tiny pores which entrap large amounts of air. This entrapped air conducts heat poorly, preventing the passage of body heat to the outside environment. This is why we prefer woolen clothing in the winter to keep us warm. It is incredible, isn’t it?
If you are searching for wonder-of-a-wool, you have come to the right place. In this article, we have collected some of the wool facts on why we prefer woolen clothes in winter.
Let’s get into it!
Why Are Woolen Clothes The Best?
Firstly, let’s begin with why woolen clothing. Wool exceeds synthetic fibres in terms of performance, as it is naturally occurring. It is also environmentally friendly, renewable, and naturally biodegradable.
Also, when it’s time to get away with old clothes, woolen clothes are the best. It is a natural, sustainable, renewable and eco-friendly product that is of important quality in a world where environmental concerns are growing. Additionally, it offers a variety of other advantages. They are:-
Environmentally Friendly
With the fashion business around clothes flourishing every day, harmful environmental effects associated with the industry are coming to light. Water resources are depleted, and rivers and streams are polluted for the business to operate. 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions come from the fashion industry. Additionally, according to a UNECE report (2018), all textiles discard 85% of specific washing processes for garments, causing a significant release of microplastics into the ocean every year.
So, as you now understand, purchasing wool is not only to keep you warm in the winter, but it is also eco-friendly and sustainable for the environment. The amount of water used and carbon emission from wool and woolen cloth manufacturing is practically zero.
Less Troublesome
Wool also has an inherent curl that allows it to regain its original shape even after being stretched by up to 30%, making it like a spring that resists wrinkles. You can rely on wool to maintain its shape because of its resilient resistance to flattening and becoming rigid. So, there’s nothing to worry about good quality wool shrinking after a few uses. Also, unlike cotton clothes, you do not need to heat the iron in a rush to keep your cloth as good as new.
Due to its balanced thermal insulation qualities, wool is both warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Also, its hydrophobic and hypoallergenic nature makes it resistant to the bacteria, mould, and mites that many individuals experience allergic reactions to during summer.
However, it might not be best to wear woolen clothes in summer as wool is hydrophobic. It won’t absorb bodily moisture, which does not keep your skin dry. On the other hand, cotton drains away moisture and dries quickly under the sun’s heat.
Nepal: The Land of Wool
One of the reasons why wool is so important during winter is because of Nepal. There are many theories on how Nepal, the land of the Himalayas, was named. One of the famous theories is the name, “Ne“, which means home, and “Pal“, which means wool, are two Tibetan terms merged to form the word Nepal.
In old times, Nepal was known for producing wool. And woolen goods were the major trade to Tibet and many Indian continental states. Therefore, Nepal means land of wool.
Nepal is where the Himalayas rest and is blessed with the best wool for warmth. Our body, mind and heart automatically want that warmth in daily life during the winter.
So, grab any woolen muffler, warmer, or beanie hat this winter and snuggle yourself in bed with the warmth of the Himalayas’ best wool. You can grab the best quality woolen items anywhere around the world from Woolmandu directly from the land of wool.
How Does Woolen Clothing Keep Us Warm?
Woolen materials act as airbags, and air conducts heat poorly. Thus, the body heat radiated to keep us warm naturally is also trapped by the woolen materials’ air pockets.
Now this heat energy that our body generates to keep us warm does not escape in the first place. The inner air is always warm since heat cannot escape and pass to the outside environment. Also, the woolen fabric is a poor conductor of heat, which prevents heat from escaping into the surroundings.
Watch This Video To Know Why Woolen Clothes Keep Us Warm:
What Is Cashmere Wool?
The word ‘Cashmere’ itself sounds luxurious, smooth, silky, and vibrant. Isn’t it? Cashmere is one of the rarest natural fibres in the world because it is the hair of a cashmere goat. The distinctive feel when you touch Cashmere can make you forget the world.
The majority of Cashmere is from goats of the Gobi Desert, which runs from Northern China into Mongolia. These animals have a superfine undercoat, centred on the underbelly, that hides beneath their coarse hair.
The local workers comb the belly hair of the goat, manually separate it, and then ship it to a de-hair-ing plant to be cleaned and refined after the goat moult. It is then woven into a piece of clothing to keep us warm in winter.
Conclusion
The reason why are woolen clothes preferred in winter and cotton in summer is that cotton fabric effectively conducts heat during summer. It circulates the cold temperature from the environment, transferring the heat that the body radiates. That is not preferred in winter. It would not keep us warm at all. We need to wear clothes that do not help heat radiating in our body to escape. Hence, woolen clothes are the best choice in winter.
Woolen clothing generally keeps us warm regardless of the climate or season. Also, keep in mind that woolen fabric opposes heat transmission from the environment to the body in the same way that it prevents heat transfer from the body to the environment.
So next time you go winter shopping, do not wonder or get confused about how woolen clothes can keep you warm in winter. Now, you not only know all the scientific facts about wool, that it does not get wrinkled, is environmentally friendly, and is allergic-free, but you also know about the place from where the best wool comes from.
Why don’t you find it for yourself by getting a fantastic piece of woolen cloth this winter, use it every year and see how it passes down to your children or, perhaps, grandchildren? Why don’t you at least try to buy a fantastic woolen piece from the land of the wool itself?
Frequently Asked Questions About Wool
How is Wool Produced?
Wool is a textile material where sheep supply most of the wool, mostly used for outerwear. For wool, the sheep are sheared. After that, the wool is cleaned and processed to prepare it for use in clothes and other products.
Does Wool Have Any History of Use in Ancient Times?
Since the Stone Age, wool fur has been used to manufacture clothing. Because wool is biodegradable, it is challenging to find early evidence of wool being used for clothing.
However, woolen clothes and other objects that were preserved during a large portion of ancient times have been found. We can trace the use of wool in ancient times from the Pazyryk carpet, discovered in Siberian burials dating to the first century B.C., to Egyptian yarn, which dates back 3,400 years.
Can Wool Be Used For a Sweaty Body?
Wearing wool fabric clothing for a sweaty body may seem strange, but the hygroscopic property of wool allows it to absorb moisture from your body, in this case, perspiration. The wool may be the ideal material for you if you sweat a lot. It is particularly breathable due to its innate capacity to regulate moisture.
Wool clothing pulls away all sweat-related moisture as a result. Fewer germs will feed on your sweating body as a result, which will reduce body odour.
Does Wool Form By Felting?
Wool is one of the oldest human-made fabrics due to its remarkable natural felting capabilities. Like fish, the wool’s surface fibres feature overlapping, saw-like scales. As a result, the fibres begin to stick together to form felt.