If we've learned one thing in the last few years (aside from the fact that one should never use the shop's comfy chair as a pin cushion), it's that not all fleece nor Merino are created equal. That's the sort of wisdom you acquire when your chosen vocation involves testing every kind imaginable.  And so it is that after enough study to qualify for a Ph.D. in Fleeceology, we've identified the very best kinds of materials available.

The first one is called BottleFleece, and it's made from 85% post-consumer recycled fibers obtained from plastic soda bottles and post industrial waste. Made in Massachusetts by Polartec, LLC, it is truly the finest, fuzziest and most long lasting fleece on the planet.  Though it's a tad more complicated than we're making it sound, soda bottles are collected by recyclers, then shredded, melted, and extruded into fibers which then become ultra-plush fleece. There are about 2 one-liter bottles in every BottleFleece hat, and that works for us, especially when you consider the end result - a fabric that strikes a nearly perfect balance of superior softness, cozy warmth, and fun-proof durability.

Similar to our BottleFleece and also made by Polartec LLC, our second material is called MicroCycle. Unbelievable as it may sound, this new material is even softer than our BottleFleece.  About half the weight of our BottleFleece, MicroCycle has an ubersoft face that feels like softness redefined.  It lines our new Sierra Beanie, Cascade Beanie, and Nordic Toque, plus it covers your ears in our El Moto.

Whoa!  Wait a minute, you use a material that has no recycled content?  Yup, coming from Polartec's Thermal Pro category, our PurePlush is 100% knit polyester, and let us tell you, it's 100% delicious.  This material is so nice, we just can't help turning some into trim once and awhile.  You'll find it on our Plush Pill, and our new Plush Beanie.

New for 2011, our Merino wool is produced using exclusive Merino fibers sourced from only the cleanest and purest New Zealand alpine environments.  Our 21 micron Merino has a non-pilling, superior knit structure.  You can be assured of repeated wash-and-wear cycles without loss of stretch or feel.  How fine is 21 micron?  A micron is a unit of measurement used for wool fiber diameter.  One micron equals one millionth of a meter.  The finer the micron (lower the number), the softer a fabric will be next-to-skin.  Compare our 21 micron Merino with that of the human hair, typically 100 microns.  This will give you an idea of the fine nature of our Merino.

Our Merino items are made for us by one of the oldest garment manufacturing facilities in New Zealand.  In existance since 1929, it is still in the same family hands from the beginning.