Right from the start, it was clear we had to avoid creating any new outdoor garments from polyester, whose use has been growing significantly in the outdoor industry and wider fashion industry. In 2021 alone, global polyester fibre production reached 60.53 million metric tons. Synthetic fibres, including polyester, account for about two-thirds of all textile fibres around the world.

Despite claiming to be to greener than green, the vast majority of outdoor brand Patagonia’s clothing range is created using rPET, which is simply recycled polyester. Despite their own science proving the damage polyester microfibre is creating in the environment and to people’s health. Meanwhile 13% of the polyester it uses still comes from virgin petroleum.  

When designing a high performance mid-layer fleece, there were many key things we had to consider, chief among them the fabric.

Unlike most outdoor or even merino brands, we couldn’t just go out and obtain the fabric off the shelf., we had to create it ourselves. After working for several months with the design team at one of the most respected woollen mills in the world, based in Yorkshire, England, PureFleece® was born.

Made from the finest 100% Merino lambswool and precision woven using four different coloured yarns (a marl) within each natural base colour, the resulting fabric features all the qualities of Merino but with more loft and durability. Way more than you could expect from knitted merino.

Despite its softness to the touch, it’s surprisingly resilient and takes the merino fleece to a whole new level. Discover Woolf PureFleece® for yourself and discover why it's become the go-to fleece for those in the know.