We know, we’re taking on a beast.
It’s an item developed for the great outdoors and adopted by every other city dweller due to its unique characteristics. You’ll know it straight away — we’re talking about the fleece.
Ah, the good old fleece. From ski-school to over-air-conditioned offices, it’s never been out of sight, has it?
But there’s a snag. A whopping 99.9% of fleeces are made of polyester. In other words, most of us have been wandering about dressed in a barrel of oil. You don’t need to be Greta Thunberg to see that’s hardly a good thing. For you or the planet.
We asked Lucallaccio to spill the beans. Head over here to find out more:
Given the way things are going, we thought it was time to put our foot down. At Asphalte, we’d much rather pour thought into our clothes than petrol.
Turns out, the answer was right under our noses for thousands of years: wool. Simple, logical, effective.
On paper, it sounds basic. But you don't see many wool fleeces out in the wild. So, we rolled up our sleeves and developed a unique fabric for the WoolPure® Fleece.
Alright, here’s the story.
Warning: You might end up wanting to ditch all your old fleeces.
(don’t, it’s very polluting)
Life in plastic ain’t so fantastic
Let's rewind.
1981: American company Malden Mills invents the legendary Polar Fleece. The mission? Replicate the insulating prowess of a sheep’s fleece, but with synthetic fibres. Brushed on the outside for a lovely fluffy finish, lined on the inside for density and wind-resistance — a winning combination. Hats off, polyester.
In 1991, Time Magazine called fleece one of the greatest inventions of the century. We reckon the intern wrote the feature, but who are we to judge?
Except, here’s the rub: that so-called brainwave might just be a classic bad idea in disguise. Because behind all that undeniable “performance”, there’s a rather giant catch. Polyester is pure, straight-up plastic. And every time your fleece goes through the wash, it sheds a cloud of microplastics that end up pouring into the ocean.
And what about day-to-day wear? Synthetic stuff clings on to odours, doesn’t thermoregulate, and can leave your skin feeling prickly—not to mention it’s extremely flammable. Not exactly appealing, is it?
That’s where we step in.
Back to business
It’s simple — back to the drawing board.
When we call our WoolPure® Fleece a revolution, we mean that quite literally. We're rolling things right back to the source, in the strictest Latin sense of both revolution and revolver.
And it all starts with a sheep, rarely a woolly-minded idea.
Developing The WoolPure® Fleece kicks off with some serious sourcing. Not only have we ditched the plastic for a natural fibre; it’s not any old natural fibre either. It’s Arles Merino wool, 100% French. Oh là là.
Our Product team went straight to the source, quizzed the sheep farmers, learnt the lot, and came back buzzing to be shining a light on such a remarkable industry.
Long live the Queen of Merino
Arles Merino wool has some unique characteristics thanks to the sheep that provide it. They spend their winters in the lowlands and their summers up in the Alpine meadows, grazing outdoors all year round. The result? A wool that’s dense, springy and built to last.
Twice a year, they’re herded to new pasture during the famous transhumance.
This year, we had the chance to shadow the sheep for part of their seasonal migration, and the shepherds shared the whole story behind this thoroughly French wool:
- It’s naturally thermoregulating. Keeps you warm when things get frosty, cools you down when it heats up. At 350g/m2, the fabric is dense, breathable, reassuringly tough. All the things you want from a Fleece, really.
- Comfort comes as standard. Arles Merino clocks in at just 20 microns—Europe’s finest in its class. In short: softer than a lamb’s ear.
- Doesn’t smell. Wool’s built-in keratin keeps bacteria in check, meaning the Wool Fleece won’t hold onto odours. Just air it out between wears and it’s good to go again. Easy peasy.
- It’s 100% natural. Straight from the Merino sheep — a renewable, biodegradable fibre.
- And styling-wise, those ultra-fine, springy fibres create a lovely bouncy finish.
Say what you want, a good sheep is hard to bleat.
The jack of all trades
Wool may well be the oldest material in the human wardrobe. And once you understand its virtues, it’s easy to see why.
However, this wonder of the natural world has been completely neglected by the modern fleece industry. Too bad for them. We have chosen to put it back in the spotlight, and have given this revolution a name: WoolPure® Fleece.
By opting for Arles Merino wool:
- You’re supporting a French supply chain that sustains passionate farmers and shepherds and keeps local know-how alive, handed down through generations.
- You’re backing a natural, durable and renewable material, and helping put an end to plastic's reign over the textile industry.
- You’re investing in a warm, cosy item — with exceptional thermal characteristics and a seriously soft, fluffy finish.
- You’re making a proper style statement — The WoolPure® Fleece is instantly recognisable.
In short, the WoolPure® Fleece does a lot more than just keep you warm and looking sharp. Behind the solid good looks, it supports French craftsmanship, the preservation of our planet, and a commitment to making your wardrobe actually mean something.
Our credo, in other words.
To be continued
On that note, join us next Friday for a closer inspection of the beast.
In the meantime, we recommend signing up for the alert below. That way, you’ll get a nudge on launch day. We're looking at delivery from 14th October, with the first to preorder being the first to receive theirs.
Thanks for your time — speak soon.
The Asphalte team