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Brands similar to Kari Traa?

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Did anyone mention Neve? I have a couple of their Nordic style sweaters, and they're really nice.
I have a Neve sweater and it is really nice ! Don't think that was mentioned.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
They also switched a lot of items to acrylic after that whole trade agreement chaos ~2-3 years ago increased wool import duties (almost all merino gets processed in China). Acrylic is super cheap and pills like and gets that "fuzzy / frizzy" look where the threads seem to untwist. No one else really plays in acrylic and hasn't since the 1970s. The fact that they charge $75 for an item like the Perle and it's 70% acrylic (yet they only market the "10% wool" part of the fabric content) is highway robbery.
@Analisa, doesn't 100% acrylic promote underarm odor that's particularly awful? I've had that experience and some time back I read that acrylic enables the growth of a type of bacteria that other fibers don't so much, and that bacteria gives off a super-ugly odor. Is this still true? Have the acrylic people figured out how to fix this?

I'm also seeing a lot of 70%wool -30%acrylic blends, or some such ratio. Should I expect the underarm thing to happen with these fibers too?
 

newboots

Angel Diva
^^
Also, I have an acrylic sleeveless sweater (that fits so loosely I don't have to worry about the odor problem), and it is hot! It has a loose knit, so I don't imagine it's a breathability issue since that one leaves plenty of air spaces. But although it's sleeveless, it's not that great for warm weather. I'm not that fond of acrylic.
 

Analisa

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@liquidfeet - I haven't seen anything about acrylic and odor. It's a really hot fabric and not very breathable with tight to medium knits, so I can definitely see it being sweaty. But polyester tends to have the worst rep for odor. (There are several strains of bacteria that break down components in sweat, but the one that's stinkiest grows well in polyester fibers). If there is stink, soaking in white vinegar or adding baking soda to your wash help. Or spraying it down with an enzyme cleaner (like pet stain cleaners). Some harsher cleaners can impact colorfastness in some fibers, but acrylic absorbs and holds dye exceptionally well.

In 70/30 blends, wool is pretty inhospitable to odor growth, so I wouldn't be super worried about smell. Fuzz & pilling would be more concerning since it's not like a nylon or polyester blend where the synthetic helps with the pilling, fuzziness, and durability. Handwashing would go a long way (or delicate cycle if by hand is a no-go) But a 70/30 blend would give you a lot of the benefits of wool in a little more budget friendly package.
 

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