Our materials
We make our sweaters from super fibers - khullu & merino.
the world's best natural wool.
Odor-resistant
Synthetic materials trap odor. Ours don't.
Breathable
More breathable than cashmere & lambswool.
Insulating
Yak naturally weather cold -40° F winters.
Soft
Similar in hand-feel
to cashmere.
Durable
Bend and flex 30,000 x before seeing any wear.
biodegradable
Disappears after only 12 months in the ground.
Feel our materials
We'll mail you a khullu sample for you to test out.
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KHULLU
It all begins in the Tibetan plateau with these furry fellas. They are yak, a resilient high elevation animal who weathers -40° F winters, 90° F summers, and everything in between. To survive, the fiber of these gentle giants needs to be extremely versatile. Yak are the center of lifestyle, tradition, and income for nomadic herders in the Tibetan plateau.
We work with the soft underbelly fibers that insulate yak in the cold winter. This fiber is called khullu ("coo-loo"), and it is some of the best natural fiber money can buy. Not only is khullu warmer and more breathable than lambswool and cashmere, but the fiber is also world-renowned for its antimicrobial properties, meaning it doesn't trap odor like cotton and synthetic materials. Khullu fiber averages 15-20 μm in fineness, which is about 80% finer than human hair.
In Tibetan culture, many pieces of clothing are handmade from khullu and must last for many seasons. Some pieces of clothing are even passed down from generation to generation. Khullu is a super material that not only thermoregulates and fights odor like few other materials but also is extremely durable and meant to last for a lifetime.
Khullu is better for our planet than cashmere...
Unlike cashmere goats, who're threatening Mongolia's grasslands (read more here: NPR), yak are low-carbon emission animals. Whereas cashmere goats have caused up to 70% of Mongolia's grasslands to turn to deserts (linked to a 4° F rise in regional temperature), yak tongues are short meaning they don't pull grass from the root when snacking, which is great news for the grasslands and our planet.
MERINO
Merino wool is the Swiss Army Knife of the natural fiber world, world-famous for its excellent insulating, sweat-wicking, and odor-resisting properties. Merino wool can absorb 30% of its weight in water and remain dry to touch. Merino can also be bent and flexed 30,000 times before it's damaged. Merino is a durable fiber that protects against the sun's rays, resists wrinkles and pilling, insulates body heat when it's cold, and transports sweat away in the heat.
But not all merino is created equal. Did you know that merino wool is regularly broken into 5 grades? The two we're interested in are "ultra-fine merino", which are the finest fibers at 13-17 μm in diameter and "super-fine merino" at 17-19 μm. Many are surprised to learn that ultra-fine merino can be even softer than cashmere.
Wouldn't it be great to get the extremely warm, odor-fighting benefits of wool without the itch?
Merino wool is finer and softer than traditional wool. Because of merino sheep's fine fibers, clothes made from this superb fiber don't itch or irritate like lambswool. Due to the fiber's insulating and sweat-wicking properties, clothes made out of merino wool are meant to be worn as a base-layer.
Merino wool fights bacteria before becoming odor...
Even after 10 wears, you'll still feel fresh in clothing made from merino wool. And when it comes time to throw merino clothing into the washing machine, you can forget the detergent because merino is self-cleaning, meaning it will release bacteria and odor even in a cold wash. While your laundry machine might get lonely, you can feel great knowing you're reducing your carbon footprint with clothing that rarely needs to be washed.
While searching for innovative natural materials, we found PiñaTex.
While pineapples are usually farmed for their delicious fruit, the protective leaf fiber is what we're most interest in. This is because the leaf fiber can be made into a durable, natural pineapple leather called PiñaTex.
13 million tons of waste is generated from pineapple agriculture every year.
PiñaTex is derived from pineapple leaf fiber, which is usually a agricultural waste product. The making of the PiñaTex itself provides economic opportunity for developing farming communities, with minimal environmental impact. Unlike leather, and even vegan plastic leathers, which take up land, water, food and fuel or are made from toxic chemicals, PiñaTex is a waste byproduct produced without harmful chemicals.
13 million tons of waste is generated from pineapple agriculture every year.
PiñaTex is derived from pineapple leaf fiber, which is usually a agricultural waste product. The making of the PiñaTex itself provides economic opportunity for developing farming communities, with minimal environmental impact. Unlike leather, and even vegan plastic leathers, which take up land, water, food and fuel or are made from toxic chemicals, PiñaTex is a waste byproduct produced without harmful chemicals.
PiñaTex is sort of like a farm to closet material.
PiñaTex fabric is made through a natural harvesting and felting process. After pineapple fruits are plucked, the remaining protective leaves left behind are collected in bundles and the long fibers are extracted. After extracting the fibers, they are washed and sun dried. Once dry, the durable fibers are sorted into bundles which results in a fluff-like roving, which soon after is turned into a non-woven mesh pineapple leather.
What else should you know...
PiñaTex fabric is made through a natural harvesting and felting process. After pineapple fruits are plucked, the remaining protective leaves left behind are collected in bundles and the long fibers are extracted. After extracting the fibers, they are washed and sun dried. Once dry, the durable fibers are sorted into bundles which results in a fluff-like roving, which soon after is turned into a non-woven mesh pineapple leather.
What else should you know...
PiñaTex fabric is made through a natural harvesting and felting process. After pineapple fruits are plucked, the remaining protective leaves left behind are collected in bundles and the long fibers are extracted. After extracting the fibers, they are washed and sun dried. Once dry, the durable fibers are sorted into bundles which results in a fluff-like roving, which soon after is turned into a non-woven mesh pineapple leather.
Eucalyptus trees, known for their therapeutic aroma, are also the source of a eco-friendly new fiber, TENCEL™ Lyocell...
TENCEL™ is made from the wood pulp of eucalyptus trees, which, unlike viscose bamboo, are broken down with a non-toxic solvent then spun into a fine yarn that is gentle on skin, silky smooth, and highly breathable.
TENCEL™ is made from wood pulp, so the fiber requires cutting down trees...
Eucalyptus trees, though, are a highly renewable resource growing at a rate of 6-12 ft per year, reaching nearly 100 feet within a 10-year period. Eucalyptus trees are also able to grow on barren soil where most plants can't grow. TENCEL™ Lyocell comes from certified farms that use no pesticides or insecticides and less water than cotton... actually 80% less water to be exact.
If that wasn't enough, unlike viscose, which produces a bamboo-based fiber through a method that creates waste contaminated with toxic carbon disulfide, TENCEL™ Lyocell is produced through the sustainable closed loop method. The closed loop method transforms eucalyptus pulp into fibers with high resource efficiency (recycles 99% of waste) and low environmental impact.
TENCEL™ is made from wood pulp, so the fiber requires cutting down trees...
Eucalyptus trees, though, are a highly renewable resource growing at a rate of 6-12 ft per year, reaching nearly 100 feet within a 10-year period. Eucalyptus trees are also able to grow on barren soil where most plants can't grow. TENCEL™ Lyocell comes from certified farms that use no pesticides or insecticides and less water than cotton... actually 80% less water to be exact.
If that wasn't enough, unlike viscose, which produces a bamboo-based fiber through a method that creates waste contaminated with toxic carbon disulfide, TENCEL™ Lyocell is produced through the sustainable closed loop method. The closed loop method transforms eucalyptus pulp into fibers with high resource efficiency (recycles 99% of waste) and low environmental impact.
TENCEL™ fiber enhances and stays soft longer than cotton...
Unlike synthetics, clothing made with TENCEL™ fiber has microscopic passageways that help regulate the absorption and wicking of moisture. These passageways also help reduce bacteria buildup, resisting odor in clothing. TENCEL™ is smooth surfaced which makes for a silky gentile feel, perfect for wearing next to skin. The durability of TENCEL™ helps clothing made from this superior tree fiber stay softer twice as long as cotton.
What else should you know...
TENCEL™ is 10x more antibacterial than cotton, yields 10x more than cotton per acre, recycles more than 99% of waste in its production process, which refines wood pulp without toxic solvents. TENCEL™ is also biodegradable unlike microplastic fibers such as recycled water bottles.
What else should you know...
TENCEL™ is 10x more antibacterial than cotton, yields 10x more than cotton per acre, recycles more than 99% of waste in its production process, which refines wood pulp without toxic solvents. TENCEL™ is also biodegradable unlike microplastic fibers such as recycled water bottles.