It's nice to have a jumper, cardigan or scarf made of wool. Wool is warm in winter, cool in summer and hardly ever needs washing. But producing wool also has a few downsides. Oh, and did you know that nowadays not everything that feels or looks like wool is actually wool? Very often, unfortunately, it is polyamide. Ai, a synthetic fabric. So we went looking for the nicest, truly sustainable wool brands - with these fine discoveries as a result!
Sustainable wool brands? Is wool even sustainable?
Is wool even sustainable? Well, that is the question. Not always. We wrote about wool before. About that wool production has a hefty environmental impact because sheep eat a lot, defecate a lot and fart a lot (yep, those farts = methane emissions). Add deforestation to make room for the huge flocks in big sheep countries like Australia. Plus pesticides to keep the sheep pest-free. Oh, and the chemicals the wool is (sometimes) treated with, those don't exactly help wool have an eco-friendly image either. And we haven't even mentioned the animal suffering factor (ouch!) that often lies behind woollen items. Yet fortunately it does exist: sustainable wool brands that produce responsibly, with consideration for animals and the environment. Below are a number of wool brands that comply with various quality marks, because they work with responsibly produced and/or organic wool. Or sometimes even recycled wool. We have compiled a nice list for you!
Handy list of sustainable, cool wool brands
Are you ready for a warm and responsible wool? We have made a list of sustainable wool brands that are not only good for you, but also for animals and the planet. From fairly produced jumpers to eco-friendly scarves. These brands just do it that little bit better.
- Armed Angels is a sustainable German clothing brand and they themselves put first and foremost emphasis on fashion. On their site, they also take you through the whole process from sheep to jumper.
- Or take a look at Blue LOOP Originals, they have a nice collection of clothes for men and women, made from (mostly) recycled wool or denim. A Dutch company too, cool!
- At Bufandy you've come to the right place for a lovely scarf. They design in the Netherlands and have the scarves made in Ecuador from the finest Peruvian alpaca wool, In lots of colours. We previously wrote about alpaca wool and why it can be a responsible, sustainable choice.
- Dilling is a Danish company that has been making (underwear) clothing from organic, GOTS-certified wool for decades. Their wool comes from Argentina, so guaranteed mulesing-free.
- The Dutch INTI Knitwear makes only one timeless collection each year. Each item is lovingly knitted and assembled by one of their seven hundred Ecuadorian knitters. The alpaca wool (hypoallergenic ánd not itchy) they use comes from neighbouring Peru. Woolen cardigans, ponchos and jumpers in the most cheerful colours and meet the makers, because they are on their site.
- Another French company where you, their name Just Cashmere says it all, you can go for woollen items made of cashmere. Their products comply with The Good Cashmere Standard and are OEKO-Tex certified. Learn more about cashmere in this article.
- The Knitwit Stable sells clothes and yarns made of Dutch wool, sourced from sheep raised locally and animal-friendly.
- That's clever! Totally circular: the Amsterdam-based company Loop-a-life makes clothes from 100% recycled wool. And also from 100% recycled cotton, by the way, should that be more your thing.
- Lots of choice in 100% merino wool jumpers for women can be found at Plein Publique. Also read their story about the sheep that provide the wool: smiles guaranteed.
Left: a beautiful cardigan made of wool from Dutch sheep by sustainable brand The Knitwit Stable. Right: a cardigan made of sustainable wool by Blue LOOP Originals from Goor (Overijssel), they use recycled wool, among other things.
- Rilabel is a young Dutch wool brand with a collection of clothing made of 100% merino wool with RWS certification. Perfect for your capsule wardrobe.
- Who knows the iconic body warmers from Alwero no? This sustainable wool brand designs minimalist garments made of 100% pure European wool with Woolmark certification.
- Another great wool brand whose products include awesome body warmers. At We Are Wovens is all about artisanal weaving and natural materials. Their collection includes beautiful, hand-woven plaids and blankets, body warmers, cardigans, slippers, hairbands and more.
- Also at Rifo and Dedicated you will find clothes made with recycled wool.
- Sezane is a French brand with stylish items and a heart for sustainability. Of their wool items, 51% is certified or recycled. And where polyamide is added, that's often recycled too. Also nice: they ship in 100% recycled packaging.
- Waschbär is a sustainable clothing brand with many garments made of bio-merino wool or bio-shear wool. The GOTS label guarantees that the wool is produced in an environmentally friendly and fair way. They produce in several European countries and all factories are audited by the Fair Wear Foundation.
- Alpaknitwear makes timeless items from 100% alpaca wool, designed in Scandinavia, responsibly knitted in Lithuania, with alpaca wool from Peru. Not cheap, but they promise you the best knitted item you'll ever have. Hole in your jumper? Their repair service fixes it. Also special, they have a buy-back service, should you wear the item less than they hope.
- Roosenstein Wolke: a Frisian company with cool woolen (skipper) jumpers for men and women. But also timeless tops and cardigans in 100% wool. And they also recycle woollen items, so it's circular, beautiful!
- If you are looking for a men's jumper then you are really in luck. At Meedin In Staphorst they have a special high-end knitting technique with which they make woollen jumpers from Dutch sheep's wool in one piece. Nice and warm and this way waste is avoided.
Tip: on the site of Project Cece many sustainable wool brands are listed together and, apart from by brand, size or material, you can also search by labels you find important. Handy!
A sustainable alternative is wool from alpacas. These animals have a smaller footprint than sheep. You are totally on the right track if you buy your wool from a sustainable label that buys the wool from a fair and die-friendly farm, such as Bufandy.
Looking for a fine, responsible and sustainable wool
Okay, wool, then. That fine, natural material. Two things to keep in mind when looking for wool: is the wool produced responsibly (for the sheep and the world, so to speak) and... is the wool item you want to buy really wool? Check the labels, check the labels and also check our list of fine, responsible wool brands. Oh, and... good wool lasts a long time. So there's a good chance you can find a good second-hand wool as well. Check out our tips on how to find beautiful sustainable woollen garments from Dutch sellers on Vinted. Saves miles again. Happy shopping! Mehhh.
More sustainable clothing tips you might also find interesting
- Super handy is this long list of more sustainable fashion brands.
- A material we also wear a lot is cotton. How nice is cotton clothing?
- You also see more and more clothes made of recycled materials in shops. How sustainable are these? We have briefly listed all the recycled clothing materials.
Photo credits: Sjoukje Photography for Alwero (left), Inti (right) (main image), other: sheep: Marco Palazzo (Pexels), vest 1: The Knitwit Stable, vest 2: Mijke Bos for Blue LOOP, Alpaca farm in Peru: Bufandy, alpaca: Josiah Farrow (Pexels).
