As merino wool blends with performance synthetics have found favour among outdoor enthusiasts in base layer brands this season, WoolVisions by CoolVisions is gaining recognition as a fabric blend that that could help offer superior performance to merino wool alone.

WoolVisions fabrics are the only hybrids blending merino wool with polypropylene, the lightest, driest, and best-insulating of apparel fibres, the company reports. Polypropylene’s inherent durability and stain resistance mean that apparel of WoolVisions can be worn better and last longer than many merino wool garments.

“WoolVisions is a really interesting blend with merino wool,” explained Jose Fernandez, president of international knitted fabric supplier Global Merino. “CoolVisions polypropylene fibre is thermally a better match for merino than other synthetics, resulting in fabrics with better hydrophobic performance.”

Testing performance

The intimate blend of CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene staple with merino wool is being trialed by a number of spinners, fabric manufacturers, and brands worldwide, the manufacturer reports. According to the company, the recent advent of CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene filament has added a whole new level of aesthetic and performance possibilities to the WoolVisions repertoire.

Global Merino’s original collection of WoolVisions fabrics was well-received by the likes of Mountain Hardwear, Backcountry, Mission Workshop, and Hincapie. Fernandez’ latest collection knits CoolVisions polypropylene filament with WoolVisions merino/polypropylene staple, or with merino wool alone, in clever constructions that place the polypropylene filament against the skin, keeping the wearer even drier and more comfortable.

On the wovens side, dyeable WoolVisions brings its thermal and moisture-management qualities to the flannel shirt, a perennial favourite of outdoorists and hipsters alike. HerMin Textile Company’s woven yarn-dyed heritage plaids blending cotton, CoolVisions and wool offer heat retention with lightweight comfort. “The weight is perfect for a classic shirt jacket worn as an excellent mid-layer, utilising all the benefits of this natural+functional blend,” commented marketing director Courtney Cruzan.

Global audience

Chia Her Industrial Group, a vertically-integrated Taiwanese spinner, weaver, and dyer, describes its WoolVisions woven plaids as possessing cotton-like qualities that are both lightweight and soft, with breathable and thermal features. “The moment you wear it, you will feel instant warmth against the skin. It is itch-free and can naturally regulate moisture while maintaining warmth,” said Stella Lee, of Chia Her’s marketing group. Chia Her’s WoolVisions yarns are custom spun for knitting or weaving in blends using 30% or more CoolVisions polypropylene staple.

Further development of WoolVisions yarns is ongoing internationally at Peignage DuMortier in France, the Schoeller Spinning Group in Austria, Südwolle in Germany, and Patrick Yarns in the US, according to Susan Lynn, global sales/marketing manager for CoolVisions.

“As CoolVisions polypropylene staple fibre is made in the US, we are particularly pleased that Patrick Yarns is offering a domestic product,” says Lynn. “With more top makers and spinners seeing the merits of WoolVisions, we are well on our way to introducing this unique product to a global audience.”

www.cool-visions.com