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The name itself isn't all that appealing, but the
functionality of mohair arguably makes it the first technical fiber in
tailoring. Nice kind of. Mohair is made by blending the hair from the
ultra-soft, silky and dense undercoat of Angora goats (at least "mohair"
sounds better than "goat hair") with more common old sheep's wool.
What you get from this magic mix is a generally high heat-to-weight ratio,
meaning it keeps you warm without weighing you down. More than that, it is also
highly breathable and has a natural stretch - crease a piece of mohair in your
hand and it seems to unfold automatically, without wrinkles. It even stains
well too.
Of course, while mohair, usually from South Africa,
but also native to the United States and Turkey, offers all
kinds of benefits that are perhaps only expected from the type of material made
in a laboratory, it also has a certain aspect. Its relatively open weave makes
it more textured than most costume fabrics, with the exception of sturdy
varieties like tweed. In fact, this relative roughness is the reason why mohair
was long rejected by the more conservative dressers, who generally associated
quality fabrics with softness and density. Even today, mohair tends to divide
men between devout devotees and those who just don't understand it.
Sean Connery as James Bond in a gray mohair suit in Dr.
No (1962)
But there's another reason why mohair was everyone's choice,
from mods (even if they later used it to go fight on the beaches), to great
jazzmen of the 50s and 60s, to Sean's James Bond. Connery; why the Four Tops
and The Temptations used to show up in matching mohair outfits; and why Charlie
Rich described a boy in his 1965 song as "talking fast, walking slow,
handsome, Mohair Sam." The goat hair content of the mohair adds shine. In
fact, the higher the gloss, the higher the mohair content. It was this flash
that saw the mohair that was once used to make high-end tuxedos. Glitter, of
course, indicates that what you're wearing is mohair, so you stand out from the
matte crowd. This is another reason why smoothing mods liked it so much. It's a
gloss that looks shiny, rather than the cheap glitter of nasty synthetics, by
the way.
Huntsman Savile Row mohair tuxedo jacket
This is because the modern machines that make these
synthetic fabrics, and most other fabrics these days, often struggle with
certain forms of mohair fabric, especially the favorite mod called
"Tonik", made by weaving two strands together. . Of different colors
- hence its most common name, "two-tone."
Back then, of course, mohair was handmade. And by "at
that time", we mean well, far away: the pharaohs and other nobles of
ancient Egypt wore mohair, the goat hair that later left Tibet, via Turkey.
Usually it is the high-end brands that produce mohair clothing today, such as
Tom Ford, Givenchy and Pradas, although, as with so many other
"luxury" fabrics, such as cashmere, in recent years there has been an
avalanche of more basic garments. and bulk fabrics. varieties on the market
that tend to detract from the qualities that make mohair attractive in the
first place.
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The ethical dilemma
Unfortunately, price isn't the only reason you might want to
avoid mohair. There are a number of ethical issues with fabric that need to be
considered, although care must be taken not to confuse angora goat hair with
angora wool, which comes from rabbits and a much more unpleasant affair.
First is the dehorning of the kids and the castration of the
males, all without anesthesia. Then there is the fact that since Angora goat
workers tend to be piecework workers paid by volume, there are many reports
that they are not too careful when it comes time to cut. An investigation by
PETA Asia eyewitnesses documented "rampant abuse", and many shorn
children were heard "screaming in fear and pain." It is not just the
process that causes the distress. Angora goats tend to be particularly
sensitive to cold, which is why they have this dense undercoat in the first
place, and yet they are often sheared (twice a year, in spring and fall) in
cold conditions, which which means that some then die. of the exhibition.
To all this is added the environmental impact to consider
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