Let’s get something straight right out of the gate. You need a sheep fur coat, although you shouldn’t be calling it that.
A Sheep Fur Coat? What Is That?
Good question – no one, absolutely no one, anywhere, calls a “sheep fur coat” a “sheep fur coat” even though it might be categorically made of “sheep fur.”
The proper term is wool, or sheep’s wool, in which case the wool is shorn from the sheep and then either spun into yarn (from which textiles can be woven) or felted, a unique process in which warm, durable fabric is produced using moisture and agitation of the fibers. Felt is naturally very warm, very durable, fire-retardant, waterproof, and self-cleaning, and lacks an evident weave. It’s a lot to take in, but it’s worth it.
(Note: Some might also call a shearling coat sheep fur, although shearling is neither woven nor felted. It is a section of sheepskin on which the last inch or so of wool remains prior to treatment and tanning. In essence, it is leather and wool.)
Look No Farther
There’s a reason that man has made coats, shawls, cloaks, jackets, gloves, hats and other outerwear (and underwear) from wool for thousands of years, literally longer than written history has been kept. Actually, there are plenty of reasons. Here are some of the best of them.
1.Warmth, warmth, and warmth
The top three reasons that wool is just a superior material are warmth, warmth and warmth. Few other materials can even come close to the thermal insulative properties of wool. It is relatively lightweight yet dense enough to keep you warm even when the temperatures dip well down below the freezing point. Think about it; northern peoples lacked space age insulators but had to deal with chilling temperatures. They did have wool.
2.Durability and natural cleaning properties
Wool is a naturally durable material and the fibers that constitute it have what can be called, for lack of a better term, a “scaly” cuticle. This layer of overlapped scales rubs against itself when the fibers are agitated, causing them to literally slough off dirt and oil – that’s right, wool cleans itself.
3.Antimicrobial, odor-fighting superpowers
Wool is also naturally antimicrobial, which not only helps to keep it clean, but also helps it to actively fight off odors. By preventing bacteria and other microbes from establishing a foothold, wool helps to prevent odors from sinking in – a far cry from cotton and synthetics.
4.Breathable: Good in all seasons (kind of)
Alright, this claim must be made with a bit of a caveat. Wearing heavy wool in the summer is not recommended, because, let’s face it: wool is hot. However, in warmer temperatures, but not hot ones, wool remains comfortable because it is able to breathe. This is a trait that it actually does share in common with cotton.
5.It will keep you warm even when it gets wet. You read that right.
One of the biggest selling points of wool is that it is not simply warm. That much is self-evident, but wool actually retains almost all of its thermal insulative properties even when it is soaking wet. In fact, wool can absorb a decent amount of its weight in water (30% or more) before it even feels so much as damp. And, through a unique process known as adsorption, wool is able to keep you toasty warm, even after it has absorbed cold water.
Visit Maximilian
Looking for a sheep fur coat for your collection? Visit Maximilian.com for a wide assortment of wool and shearling coats of all sorts, styles and designs. Check out their website at the address listed above or contact them at 1-800-TLC-FURS to learn more.
