Design Principles

Like any innovation, a concept, audacity, and teamwork have driven the creative process.

Ramblers Way next-to-skin wool apparel is an innovation combining nature, technology, and the environment.

Superfine Rambouillet Wool

The fabric begins with an American breed of sheep, Rambouillet, known for its fineness of fiber, length, and durability.

We work with our rancher partners to breed and supply us with their superfine (a diameter of 18.5 microns or less), long wool fiber. Any thicker and the lightweight yarn and fabric cannot be made.

We are currently growing sheep at Ramblers Way Farm in Kennebunk, Maine that is below 17 micron.

windspun, worsted wool

Our spinning partner in South Carolina has world class equipment that can comb and spin a wool yarn like a fine thread. Their family has been in this business for 5 generations and they have used their heritage to provide the best spinning mill in the USA.

There the wool is “windspun”™ to remove any excess fiber to avoid potential pilling of the ultimate fabric. Without them, we could not make our unique fabric.

Our wool yarn is also made in the worsted style which means fibers are all going parallel to each other before becoming yarn and this prevents the scratchy feel to the fabric.

Lightweight, itch-free wool clothing

The fabric is a knit construction designed to be a very little amount of material in a square inch for lightweight and smooth feel against the skin. The fine wool, fine yarn, are prerequisites to a lightweight fabric 150 grams per square centimeter (4 oz).

The net result is a fabric that is light, breathes, doesn’t scratch, and has the insulating and odor absorbing properties unique to wool.

Flat Seems for Your Comfort

Our garment seams are designed to lay flat against the skin and still look like a fashioned garment, not sportswear. Our sewing machine partner made this seam and equipment especially for us. 

All Natural Plant Dyes

The rich colors of our wool comfortwear comes from the dried extracts of plants, like indigo, red madder, osage, and logwood. We have created our own commercial dye house in Maine to dye and launder the garment before final inspection.

Made in the USA

Last, we wanted a wool that was local so that we were not polluting the air with hydrocarbons from transportation from Australia or China. Our wool production and textile manufacturing take place entirely in the United States.