A&S 2023AW – Wool Milled Serge

At A&S there is a collection of fabrics that we call, our “standard fabrics.” These are standard fabrics that have been selected from the collections we have developed up until now, which does not choose a target audience of age or gender. Wool milled serge is one of these fabrics, and we have been producing this original fabric for more than ten years. This fabric is woven in Bishu*, a major area well known for its wool production. The finish process is done at the one and only processing plant that supports this production area.

This fabric was created with motivation to create an elegant, yet uneven, shrunken look, and is made from carded wool. Shrunken fabrics are usually made from spun wool. Spun yarn is made by spinning short fibers without combing* and results in soft, fluffy look. Carded yarns are made by combing long fibers. Most of the time you can see carded yarns used for high-quality tailored suiting, because the fibers are uniform and oriented in a certain direction, giving the yarn a lustrous appearance. Using these fine carded yarns, a softly woven fabric is put through a special dryer while still damp and then entangled with heat and moisture. The finishing process makes sure the fluff is deliberately felted together to make the fabric denser and thicker. This process is called, shredding. Shrinkage results in a high heat-retaining effect and is resistant to more shrinkage and moisture. The carded wool is shrunk to give a light touch to the hand. The use of fine yarns results in a lightweight finish. Even if the same process is used in this shrinking process, the degree of shrinkage varies depending on the yarn quality and dyeing method, making it very difficult to control the textures. While fine-tuning, and you may notice a difference in the textures of different colorways. This is a distinct result of this intricate process.

You may see season’s styles of coats and pants in this Wool milled serge fabrics at the shops. We hope you come and take a look at the fabrics in person.

*Bishu: The western part of Aichi Prefecture in Japan. It has long been known as the largest area of wool production in Japan. It is said to be one of the world’s three largest wool-producing regions, along with Biella in Italy and Huddersfield in the UK.

*combing: To brush through with a comb to create a uniform texture.