Be careful in buying woolen clothes.

The flower is pink or bitterly cold. It is a unique occasion to wear warm and woolen clothes, as the winter season sets in, the market is flooded with various and colorful attractive warm clothes. But be careful, don't get carried away. Before buying the clothes to stay warm in the cold, get the basic information about it.

First we will discuss wool. Wool is mostly made from fibers on the sheep's skin, but its quality depends on the breed, upbringing of the sheep, and the part of the body from which the wool is harvested. The wool of Merino sheep from Australia is considered to be of high quality. Of course the wool from the sheep's feet is called lambswool, it is very soft and beautiful. The wool of Shetland sheep from Scotland and the wool of Angora goats from America are also appreciated. Apart from this, good quality wool is also obtained from sheep and goats of South Africa, Turkey and Kashmir. Goats also provide high quality wool, found in the Himalayas, Central Asia, Mongolia, Kashmir and Tibet, at elevations of 14,500 feet. This wool is very light, soft and warm. Fibers from Angora rabbits and certain breeds of camels are also used to make carpets, sweaters and knitted garments.

When shopping for wool, and especially warm clothing, the words 'Wastered Wool' are often drawn to the print, but have no idea what it means. Generally, wool is made of long fibers and the surface of garments made from it is very smooth while woolen uses short fibers and has a hair like surface.

Wool is elastic, it does not let the air inside out and the outside air in. Thus woolen clothes keep the wearer warm. Another feature of wool is that its outer surface repels water. While the interior absorbs moisture. Thus it absorbs water slowly. However, despite absorbing moisture as much as possible, the wearer of woolen clothing does not feel damp. Moreover, wool is less stiff and does not get matted easily. However, wool has certain disadvantages. It shrinks quickly and needs special processing to prevent shrinkage. It quickly becomes prey to pests. Hence, special precautions are also required to keep it free from maggots.

On the other hand, man-made fibers are easier to wash and less expensive, although they are not as stable as wool, and can be itchy if not softened. Due to this two-in-one i.e. garments made of natural wool and synthetic fibers have become more popular. Nowadays, many types of natural and synthetic wools and fiber blends are used to make garments more durable and easy to maintain. Similarly, revolutions in technology have also proven better polyester staples and acrylics, as well as blowing wool into warmer clothes.

Thus, although the choice is unlimited, some important details about the label are not provided to the consumer. Most winter garments do not display any fiber information. For this, the Union Ministry of Textiles should make it mandatory to display information about the fibers used in all garments as well as the blend.

Apart from this, provision should be made to accurately indicate the care taken while washing and the details regarding drying.

Pure wool shrinks when washed in the washing machine. So has any process been done on it to prevent shrinkage? Provision can be made to show its details also. If woolen garments are washed at home, they should be washed in a washing machine or by hand. It should be washed with normal cold water and special type of detergent or soap. Its details should also be provided to the customer. Can it be ironed? If yes at what temperature this can happen, all this information is essential and should be made known to the customer.

Doesn't the manufacturer label old goods with the manufacturer's name, address and maximum price and date of manufacture, in addition to instructions regarding fiber mixing and washing? The customer will be able to understand it. The consumer should also insist on adequate label details. He has every right to ask for this information. Finally, Woolmark's seal is a symbol of quality, Woolmark carries out a worldwide certification process, which takes into account the strict criteria of wool purity and performance.

What to look out for when buying wool?

While making a sweater or shawl, it is very important to keep certain things in mind before buying wool. Because if the wool is not of good quality, then the hard work done in making a sweater or shawl will go to waste.

A cheap wool sweater or shawl will become like a hairbrush in a few days.

Before buying wool, it is very important to know the quality of the wool. Only wool should be purchased which bears the quality, manufacturing stamp of the Government on the wool packet or on the wool box and on the paper affixed to the wool. Wool with such a print is a little expensive, but being of high quality, there is no crying later.

Wool should also not be bought like double-faced hair. Fibers are quickly removed from such wool. Sweaters and shawls made from such wool deteriorate and are later used only to clean boots.

Thus, you will not be cheated and your hard work will not go in vain if wool is purchased keeping in mind some of the suggestions given above.