Washing, Roughing, Felting
OMG Washing, Roughing, Felting - Why? It was shepherds who came up with the idea of washing, felting and napping wool 8,000 years ago. The purpose: the wool fabric becomes dense, warms, protects against cold and rain, remains indestructible and filters pollutants from the air. This millennia-old procedure improves durability, stability, protection against cold and rain, heat balance and air purification. For example, if you wear a blazer made of felted wool fabric from Weber + Weber to a meeting, you automatically purify the air in the room for the benefit of everyone. Washed and felted wool fabrics absorb from the air the gas formaldehyde, which is ubiquitous in floors, furniture, dyes and adhesives. OMG.
It was fine Welsh society that tinkered with a process to soften woolen fabrics by napping them. In the 16th century, flannel was born in Wales. The area is known for cold, wet winters. Roughing involves pulling out individual fibers so that they form a soft pile. The air trapped in the pile acts as a thermal insulator. Perfect for the robust winter pants (tailored chinos), shirts and jackets from Weber + Weber, equipped with the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) certificate.
It was not the American lumberjacks who invented the flannel shirt. In 1869, flannel shirts made of washed, napped cotton and wool fabrics were exported from Germany to the U.S. and were occupied by railroad workers as work shirts. It was not until the early 20th century that New World lumberjacks discovered the flannel shirt. In the 1990s, pop culture promoted flannel to the favorite, of rockers and hipsters. OMG.
