The association of Sunspel with fine merino wool

For its quality mens clothing in the US, elsewhere overseas and its native Great Britain, Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com/us) has always subscribed to the highest levels of fabric innovation and refinement. That has been the case at least since the company was first set up by Thomas Hill in 1860, with the initial team of 500 employees proving supremely skillful with premium Lisle cotton – but if there’s one fabric that the brand has especially come to be associated with over the generations, it is surely fine merino wool.

Sheep’s wool just doesn’t come any softer and finer than fine merino wool, in keeping with Sunspel’s commitment to the most sumptuous luxury fabrics that can be worn comfortably against the skin. Indeed, it was been a part of the firm’s palette of fabrics since the 1930s, with resoundingly positive results and customer feedback keeping it there ever since. To begin with, it was used for underwear, and it’s now helping to bring a certain tactile pleasure and clean, contemporary aesthetic to knitwear heritage clothing items including roll necks, polo jumpers, cardigans and many more.

The company’s Fine Merino Roll Neck, for example, can be specified in Black, Light Navy or Camel and channels the spirit of Steve McQueen’s Bullitt, very much being inspired by classic ‘60s style. For this item of luxury mens clothing, Sunspel’s fabric experts made use of the unique Q13 fabric, which is premium fine-gauge merino wool from New Zealand that stands for exceptional softness and luxury, having been dyed after it was knitted. The firm’s Fine Merino Wool Cardigan, meanwhile, is not only crafted from 100% finest merino wool but also nicely complements a shirt and tie or one of the company’s Riviera classic polo shirts, thanks to its timeless six-button design with ribbed hem and cuffs.

Fans of Sunspel’s merino wool can also choose the likes of the Fine Merino V Neck Jumper that makes a nice sophisticated pairing with a classic fit Chino, while there are even socks available in merino wool in styles that add some real character to an understated outfit. Also represented in the wider Sunspel British clothing range are high performance Q10 Merino Wool Leggings that help those in extreme cold to stay warm and dry. Smoothness against the skin is ensured by the fine merino wool fibers, which also wick sweat away and ward off odors.

Items like the latter show that fine merino wool offers greater versatility than might be imagined. After all, even polar explorer Ben Saunders was inspired by Q10’s lightweight quality and high performance into developing a selection of Sunspel merino base layers especially for his 2011 solo expedition to the Geographic North Pole. Despite being at the forefront of the earliest cotton underwear and T-shirts, Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com/us) has always been committed to woolen underwear, and fine merino wool retains an integral role in its wider British menswear.