Made-to-measure suit in Escorial – luxury with unique quality
Sheep's wool is one of the most popular natural fibers processed in the clothing industry. Depending on the nature of the sheep's wool, there are large differences in quality. Escorial is a particularly fine breed of sheep that supplies the high-quality wool of the same name, which is made into the luxurious Escorial fabric. We show you what makes this wonderfully soft fabric special and why it is excellent for your made-to-measure suit.
Escorial wool comes from Spain, where the small sheep were part of the royal flocks of El Escorial. Today only a few animals are left, in Australia and New Zealand, which makes the wool all the more desirable. The quality of the Escorial fiber comes from its twisted shape, which resembles a coiled spring. This creates maximum flexibility, which gives a soft and supple fabric. It is this unique suppleness that distinguishes every garment made of Escorial and makes it so valuable. Many customers describe the feel as that of “a second skin”, which warms pleasantly and is breathable at the same time.
The Escorial fabric – look and feel
At first glance, Escorial is readily mistaken for cashmere, since both fabrics are marked by an exceptionally soft handle and by their suppleness. Escorial belongs to the merino wool fabrics, but it is far softer and at the same time just as robust as the merino wool fabric you know. These two properties are rarely found in combination, which is what makes Escorial fabric so expensive and so valuable. The shape of the coiled spring, the length of the individual fibers and the three-dimensional crimping, the so-called crimp, provide elasticity and a crease-free drape, which is also why the fabric is very easy to care for.
The surface of an Escorial fabric has a matte sheen that looks very luxurious and flatters every wearer. Suits in particular are readily made from Escorial, because they are comfortable to wear and hold their shape, and ironing is only very rarely necessary. Escorial fibers also have 30% more scales than conventional sheep's wool. As a result they bond better with one another during spinning, which makes the fiber softer and provides better insulating power. The fibers can also absorb water better and release it again in the finished fabric.
The Escorial sheep – supplier of high-quality wool
The Escorial sheep was originally bred in Spain and belonged to the royal El Escorial flocks for centuries. It is only three quarters the size of a merino sheep and accordingly yields only a correspondingly small amount of wool. It has long been prized for its robust wool, which is particularly durable thanks to its corkscrew fibers. The flock once grazed in the palace garden of El Escorial castle on the plateau of Castile, before it was sold first to Australia and later also to New Zealand.
The wool obtained from the Escorial sheep is processed exclusively in the luxury segment. It is considered, not without reason, the finest merino wool in the world and is the trademark of the New Zealand Escorial Company NZ. The company is dedicated to breeding the Saxon line of the pure-blooded Royal Escorial sheep.
As early as 1765 numerous sheep were given as a gift by the Spanish king to Saxony, and in 1829 a flock of about one hundred sheep was acquired by a Scotswoman, Eliza Furlonge, and shipped to Tasmania. Experience shows that sheep breeding works particularly well in the Australian grasslands. In 1987 the Radford family bought 40 lambs from the Australian flock in order to bring them to New Zealand's South Island. Today the flock grazes on the Mount Arden farm.
The Escorial sheep originally comes from North Africa. In the 14th century a flock was resettled to Spain, where it grazed on the plateau of Escorial. In the 16th century Philip II had the El Escorial palace built not far from Madrid, which can still be visited today.
The Escorial brand
The Escorial brand was founded in 1998 in order to protect the rare Escorial breed of sheep and to make its wool quality known. Founder Peter Radford discovered the wool in the 1980s and was impressed by its quality. Today Escorial sells the raw wool only to the spinning mill Luxury Fabrics Ltd. in Yorkshire, Great Britain, which processes the wool into high-quality fabrics using special weaving methods. The brand's main ambition is the production of first-class cloths that carry the name Escorial around the world. More than 150 fabrics from Escorial are available and are made into suits, blazers, jackets and coats.
Sustainability at Escorial
Despite the growing popularity of the wool and of the fabrics, sustainable animal husbandry and animal welfare are the priority for the Escorial brand. A reduction of CO2 emissions is intended to help keep the farmland in healthy condition in the long term, so that following generations can use it. This is achieved through small flocks that graze in a natural environment. Each year only a small quantity of raw wool is delivered to a selected partner, who can trace the origin of the wool down to the last detail. Escorial is a member of the NFZAP, the New Zealand Nation Farm Assurance, which sets standards for wool production regarding origin, traceability and animal welfare. So you can be confident that with a garment made of Escorial fabric you are buying a high-quality, animal-friendly and environmentally compatible product.
Have we made you curious? We are happy to advise you on the right fabric for your made-to-measure suit and to show you various Escorial fabrics. Just get in touch, we look forward to your visit!