Textile Leaders of Menswear And The Race for Functional Variety

Italian Wool Mills Lead the Way in Menswear

By Tim Beasley

Since the middle ages, the Italian textile industry has enjoyed global notoriety but with the industial revolution and the invention of the power loom, the spinning frame, and worsted cloth (which derives it's name from the village of Worsted - actually where the process was invented) .

Great Britain became the world leader in textile production and dominated the industry throughout the 19th century. British towns like Huddersfield and Hailfax sprung up around mills, alongside the mansions of mill owners, woolen kings who first influenced and then controlled the global textile industry. With laws prohibiting the disclosure of British advances in textiles technology, sway on the industry waned. Japan modeled their mills and industry on the British, and offered the same luxury fabric at a fraction of the cost, quickly gaining control of the market. Korea followed in these Japaneese footsteps but shortly gave the Italian's a non-contested victory that would change the wool textile market forever. 

In the early 1980's, Italy re-entered the market and continued the long heritage of their trade. Other mills conformed in traditional fashions and embraced the comfort zones of the basic with productions eliminating variety. As the rest of the mills continued these basic productions, Italian's delighted in the arena of luxury fabrics, differentiating fashionable patterns and seasonal weights. 

Italian wool mills are still known as the best fabric producers for luxury, purpose variety and are now embracing the new concept of "functional fabrics" for performance and longevity.


For the last few decades, the focus on luxury suiting in America has been on the finest fibers, soft-silky hand and a lustrious wet sheen that gives a perception of luxury to the public eye in many shades and forms of lighting contrast. But what about the renewed desire for functionality and durability that consumers are craving? Loro Piana, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Woolmark of Australia have shown an interest in competing for the US market by developing and marketing the concepts for everyday wear-and-tear, water resistance, and higher woven tension wools that provide a wrinkle free functionality for lasting durability. The move towards seasonal suits has fueled demand for more robust options which has enhanced versitality for everyday workwear. Heavier coarser woolens that are more than 250 grams in weight have become more fashion oriented.

It is exciting to see the new innovations of fabric functionality and Italians seem to be leading the way. More to come soon. 

Sources: MR Mag. - Edited & Orignal by Tim Beasley 

Company Name: Cashmere Markets
Contact Person: Tim Beasley
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