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Sustainable, Natural & Organic Fibres
At Celtic we choose only the finest organic or natural fibres for all of our products because they are completely renewable, sustainable and a pleasure to wear. Unlike man made fibres, natural fibres are created from the fibres of animal coats and plant seeds, leaves, and stems.
Our fibres comes from six different kinds of animal: sheep, cows, goats, alpacas, camels and angora/mohair as well as from the cotton and bamboo plants.
Real Sheepskin
All sheepskins, leather and suede come as a by-product of the food industry. We take hides that would otherwise go unused, and transform them into naturally warm, breathable outerwear and footwear that is beautiful, long lasting and irresistibly luxurious. Recycling at its best!
We take extra care to select only the finest materials for use in all of our products. Every piece is designed, made and finished in England or Europe and bears the hallmarks of our fine craftsmanship and attention to detail.
We only use real sheepskins, carefully selected for the purpose and incorporating a myriad of different sheepskins finishes, colours and wool characteristics to create unique, timeless and stylish products. Within our range you will find:
Toscana Sheepskin that is recognised by its beautiful long and tactile wool. Sumptuous and silky, Toscana sheepskin is supple, lightweight and wonderfully warm. The many variations in the wool, ranging from tight curls to loose waves, makes it an excellent alternative to fur.
> View all our Toscana items here
Merino Sheepskin that is widely regarded as the finest sheepskin. Extra fine and soft, merino sheepskin is especially luxurious.
> View all our Merino items here
Cabra Goatskin is wonderfully soft and silky. Lightweight and simply irresistable it comes with many variations in the markings and wool.
> View all our Cabra items here
Wool
Wool in its natural form is a renewable and sustainable fibre that is extremely versatile, which makes it the first choice for clothing. It is wear resistant, provides good insulation against the elements, and has the extraordinary capability of being able to absorb up to 30% of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet. Wool is also dirt resistant, flame resistant, and in many weaves, resists wear and tearing.
Merino Wool comes from the Merino sheep, which are most commonly bred in warm climates such as Australia and New Zealand. Merino is regarded as one of the finest and softest wools and is very versatile and structurally creative. Our fine Merino wool styles are produced exclusively for us in England and Ireland.
> View all our Merino items here
Geelong Lambswool comes from the Geelong region in Australia where the temperate climate produces a finer quality fleece that is soft, expensive and very luxurious. It is spun in a different way to Merino lambs wool and is able to trap more air giving more warmth with a lighter weight.
> View all our Geelong Lambswool items here
Shetland Wool is silky, soft and crimpy. The wool is the finest of all our native breeds and shows an amazing variety of colours and patterns.
> View all our Shetland Wool items here
Specialty Wool Fibres
We also sell a number of products made from speciality wool fibres, which are further classified by the animal that the fibres come from:
Mohair comes from the Angora goat and is highly resilient and strong. It possesses qualities such as warmth, light weight, crease resistance, durability and softness. Mohair’s lustre, not softness, determines its value.
> View all our Mohair items here
Cashmere comes from the Kashmir goat down. Cashmere fibre is extremely soft, lightweight, fine and warm. Separation of the soft fibres from the long, coarse hair is tedious and difficult, contributing to the expense of the fabric. All of our cashmere products are made for us in Scotland and are hand checked at every stage of production and finally washed in pure Highland water to remove any remaining impurities.
> View all our Cashmere items here
Alpaca fibre has been used in the textile industry since centuries. The popularity of clothing made from alpaca fibre is rising since the last few years. This is mainly because raising alpaca has a lesser impact on the environment as compared to other wool-bearing animals. Alpacas are small camel-like animals found largely in South America. Alpaca wool is very rich and silky with considerable lustre. It is similar to sheep wool, but lighter in weight, warmer and softer to the touch. Generally, alpaca wool is available in white colour; however, colours such as blackish blue, brown, silver grey and blackish brown are also found.
> View all our Alpaca items here
Camel hair is from the extremely soft and fine fur from the undercoat of the camel. Light weight and soft, it is said that a 22 oz. camel fabric is as warm as a 32 oz. woollen fabric.
> View all our Camel items here
Cotton
Cotton fibre is obtained from the cotton plant. It is one of the traditional fibres used in the textile industry and is cool, soft, breathable and comfortable. It is one of the most preferable fibres because the cloth made from it is durable, at the same time having a good drape. Moreover, it is moisture-absorbent and smooth to the touch. One of the other qualities of cotton fabric is that it takes time to dry. It also creases easily, requiring regular ironing.
> View all our Cotton items here
Organic Cotton. We are all familiar with the health and environmental benefits of organically grown food, but what about the clothes we wear? Non-organic cotton is one of the most intensively farmed crops in the world and accounts for one quarter of global pesticide use, which is why we prefer to use Organic Cotton for our clothing & nightwear at Celtic Sheepskin.
By growing cotton organically, people and the planet are protected. Here are a few reasons why organic cotton is the only choice for a more sustainable future:
Over 8000 chemicals can be used to turn cotton into a t-shirt. 20,000 deaths occur in developing countries each year from poisoning by agricultural pesticides used on crops, of which many can be attributed to cotton. Pesticides and insecticides harm natural habitats.
In some areas, the cost of chemicals is now reaching 60% of farmers' production costs, causing intolerable debts for millions of poor farmers. Crop rotation is at the core of organic crop production, providing nutrients to the soil, helping prevent pest, weed and disease problems and maintaining the soil structure. (Source: PAN-UK)
The soft organic jersey used for our t-shirts and nightwear is grown using traditional farming methods like crop rotation, hand weeding and biological pest control to produce crops with minimal harm to the people and the planet. Non-toxic dyes are also used, resulting in less damage to the environment and no chemical next to your skin.
> View all our Organic Cotton items here
Dry Wax Cotton outerwear combines the benefits of breathable cotton with practical weatherproofing. Our jackets and coats use lighter weight fabrics while still remaining highly water resistant and wind resistant with outstanding durability. The dry wax fabric we use has all the thorn proof and waterproof qualities of Wax but without the greasy feel.
> View all our Dry Wax Cotton items here
Epic Cotton® is a patented technology that delivers additional performance benefits to all types of woven textiles, in our case, cotton. The fabric is wind and rain proof, breathable and air permeable, and for this reason it’s often used in military clothing and many sportswear pieces. So it’s quite special to bring it into the fashion world, and we’re delighted to use a high performance material in such a tailored way. Practicality meets fashion - impressive huh?!
> View all our Epic Cotton® items here
Bamboo
Bamboo fibre is a recent innovation in the textile industry. Obtained from the bamboo plant, it possesses several qualities such as smoothness and durability. It is environmentally friendly as well, requiring fewer pesticides as compared to cotton cultivation.
The bamboo is pulped and then processed into fibre or yarns to be used in clothing. This wonderfully light and soft fibre boasts good moisture absorption and breathability. The fibre can keep the wearer from 3 to 5ºc cooler than other fabrics and because of its naturally bacteria-proof properties, it also helps to reduce odour.
> View all our Bamboo items here
