WeatherWool Fabric Samples

OUCH ... THIS HURTS ... for years and years, we have offered Free Fabric Sample Packs.  But on 30 October 2024, the local Postmaster stopped by and informed us we can't ship Sample Packs in envelopes ... because of the way the US Post Office classifies the Sample Packs, our cost of shipping is going to take a big jump.  As of now, Sample Packs are $10, refundable against the next order.  Sorry.  Even at $10, we'll still lose money, but the Sample Packs are important.  But at least the $10 will eliminate people who are not serious.  I think it will also eliminate the bozos who order with fake email addresses. If you don't get the Samples, please let us know!  Sometimes they just seem to disappear along the way.  For International sample requests, whatever additional shipping charges are incurred will be credited against first order. WeatherWool® Hardcore Luxury® Fabric is the foundation of our company.  We make our own Fabric at great trouble and expense.  And so we love to send Samples. If fabric that met our (Ralph's) specs had been available in the marketplace, we would not have founded WeatherWool. The Samples Packet contains: Our Fabric Sample Booklet, featuring our Hardcore Luxury Merino Jacquard Woven Fabrics and our new 100% Wool Denim.  (We seem to be the only source for 100% Wool Denim.) Larger Test Swatches; one in MidWeight Fabric and one in FullWeight Fabric. We have just started offering Natural White (Undyed, Cream Color) Fabric, and we'll include a swatch of the Nat White.  Also included is a Test Swatch of Denim A Mouton Pelt Sample square A Slot Button, along with a few inches of Anchor Ribbon because many people are not familiar with Slot Buttons. We use the Slot Buttons on almost all our garments because they are much more secure than standard four-hole buttons Information about wool, and WeatherWool Why doesn't every garment maker offer fabric samples?  Maybe because they don't want you to see? Our own pure wool custom Merino-class Jacquard and Denim Fabrics are the basis of our company, and they have no equal in the marketplace, as far as we know.  If Fabric that met our specs had been commercially available, we would not be here.  We actually have a couple of other Fabrics we are developing, but we won't include them in the Samples until/if we are sure what we'll be doing with them. Our Fabrics are made from 100% WeatherWool Certified Fine Wool ... our own standards are very strict and very detailed.  There are many people who believe they know wool, and think WOOL IS WOOL ... we dearly love to send Samples to those folks (and everyone else) because handling our Fabric, even the small Test Swatches included with Sample Pack, really helps people understand our company. The Test Swatches are random-sized Remnants from the tailoring of our garments, and they are large enough so you can do a little testing, and compare WeatherWool to other fabrics. Among the performance factors people examine: fire/embers, water, softness against the skin, silence, toughness, strength, reflectivity, camouflage properties, light test. (Holding the Test Swatches up to a light source to see how much light passes through. Please keep in mind the darkest colors absorb the most light ... that's the definition of "dark".) We've heard from many people who had always been uncomfortable with wool, until ours.  One woman tested our Sample by tucking it into her sock, and wearing it all day against her ankle. She forgot it was there and was happy to find woolen outerwear that is comfortable on her skin. Dave Krysiak of Michigan: "My wife is quite sensitive to wool products against her bare skin so we are curious to test your fabric samples." Dave wrote again when he ordered a garment: "The fabric samples were very helpful and approved by the Boss (aka Mrs. Krysiak). She experienced no irritation whatsoever!" And from Andrew Gorsuch: "Just got my samples. Mouton is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. Really happy you’ve included actual scrap cuts of the FullWeight and MidWeight. I really can’t express how impressed I am by theses samples. Today would be a perfect day for your Anorak, can’t wait to have one." When Andrew gave permission to use his name, he added: "Yes use whatever I’ve said with my name or without as you’d like sir. I meant what I said. This looks like incredible material, I really can’t wait to get my hands on an anorak." WeatherWool engineers the best 100% American, pure wool Merino-class Jacquard All-Purpose Outerwear ("Hardcore Luxury" is our registered trademark) we can figure out,   (As of 2024, we have added 100% Wool Denim), backed by our standard offer of No-Risk, long-term testing. And so we are very happy to fulfill requests for WeatherWool Fabric Samples. We definitely would like to know what you think once you’ve handled the Samples.  We love to have WeatherWool Fabric and garments compared to -- and tested against -- anything else. Our Fabrics are the foundation of our products. We know well the ranchers we buy from, and two of them Bob Padula and Mike Corn (now retired from sheep ranching, but still running wool auctions) are Advisors to WeatherWool that we have known since our beginning.   We select the finest raw wool fiber after thorough evaluation of lab tests. Next are scouring (cleaning), dyeing, carding, spinning, weaving and finishing processes, all to specifications. These processes are summarized on our Start-to-Finish page. Our MidWeight Fabric is about 12.5 ounces per square yard (424 grams per square meter) and FullWeight Fabric is about 18.5 opsy (627 gsm) although Fabric Batches will vary. We have a page that discusses FullWeight versus MidWeight Fabrics.  Please be aware that others may label a fabric “24 ounce wool”, but usually this refers to a running yard of unspecified width … and so 24 ounce wool can actually be lighter than 20 ounce wool, if the 24-ounce-bolt is wider.  (Millers almost always refer to running yards but outside the mill walls, the width becomes mysterious.)  But anyway, weight is a poor indicator of performance … lighter fabric made from superior fiber and combed, spun, twisted, woven and finished with excellence as the only goal can easily outperform heavier “run of the mill” fabric.  We make our own Hardcore Luxury® Fabrics because we could find no commercial offerings meeting our specifications. (Repetitive, I know.) All our Fabrics provide luxurious and comfortable protection from the elements while being acceptable in any social setting. Our proprietary Lynx Pattern is very effective natural camouflage and is very attractive in social and professional gatherings.  Lynx Pattern is not perceived as camo except by those who already "think camo" Our Drab Green Color is similar to military Olive Drab Our Brown is a Classic Brown that, like Drab Green, is acceptable anywhere in public but very difficult to see in Nature With the possible exceptions of True Black and Natural White-Cream, our Fabrics are effective camouflage as they blend extremely well into a wide variety of Natural settings. Our Black is a true black. Natural White-Cream is the natural, undyed and unbleached color of the wool as it came from the sheep All our Jacquard Fabrics are woven in Lynx Pattern, but the solids are woven with yarns of only one color. However, the Lynx Pattern is very slightly visible even in the solids because Jacquard weaving causes the solids to reflect light in a different manner than standard weave. The Jacquard weave creates a soft, rich texture that enhances the ability of even the solid colors to blend into Nature. The millers actually refer to our Fabrics as Lynx-Lynx, Lynx-Black, Lynx-Brown, Lynx-Drab and Lynx-Natural White.  Denim, by definition, is a type of weaving, and so, of course, our Denim is a denim-weave. We offer a separate page, Our Colors, with more detail. The Natural Mouton Lamb Fleece is used inside our Mouton Jacket, Mouton Vest, Mouton Hat, Hand Muff, and Mouton Hood.  (The Mouton pieces are not in production now, but we are working on that!)  Mouton is real fleece ... a real pelt (taken from a lamb that has been processed for meat), leather included, and nothing like the synthetic petrochemical stuff that is routinely called “fleece”. We offer No-Risk Field Testing because the “living room test” is good only for sizing.  Real evaluation of outerwear requires experience in a wide variety of weather conditions and activities.  And please wear wool base layers (or no base layers) under your WeatherWool.  Any other type of base is less than optimal.  We invite everyone to give WeatherWool a heavy-duty field-test … and get a 100% refund if not completely happy. We can't picture operating any other way.  We look forward to hearing your impressions of the Samples. THANKS for your interest in WeatherWool! The little girl putting labels on the Sample Packs is 4-year old Zabz (photo from 2020), Alex and Cecy's daughter (and Debby and my granddaughter). Zabz still really likes to help! *The Sample Packets are very carefully put together 100% by hand.    15 May 2025 - Best Regards, Debby, Alex, Ralph   A great many people have told us they really appreciated our Samples and garments, but very very few people actually post reviews.