Tailor-made suit from Escorial – luxury with unique quality
Sheep's wool is one of the most popular natural fibers used in the clothing industry. There are big differences in quality depending on the composition of the sheep's wool. Escorial is a particularly noble breed of sheep that produces the high-quality wool of the same name, which is processed into the luxurious Escorial fabric. We'll show you what makes the cuddly soft fabric so special and why it's perfect for your tailor-made suit .
Escorial wool comes from Spain, where the small sheep were part of the royal flocks of El Escorial. Today, only a few animals live 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 twisted feather. This creates maximum flexibility, which ensures a soft and supple fabric. It is this unique suppleness that characterizes all Escorial garments and makes them so valuable. Many customers describe the feeling as " like a second skin" that is pleasantly warm and breathable at the same time.
The Escorial fabric – look and feel
At first glance, Escorial is often confused with cashmere, as both fabrics are characterized by an extremely soft feel and suppleness. Escorial is a merino wool fabric, but is much 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 valuable. The shape of the twisted feather, the length of the individual fibers and the three-dimensional crimp ensure elasticity and a wrinkle-free throw, which is why the fabric is also very easy to care for.
The surface of an Escorial fabric has a matte sheen that looks very luxurious and flatters every wearer. Suits are particularly popular with Escorial because they are comfortable to wear and keep their shape, and ironing is rarely necessary. The Escorial fibers also have 30% more scales than conventional sheep's wool. This means that they bond better together during spinning, which makes the fiber softer and provides better insulation. The fibers can also absorb water better and drain it away again in the finished fabric.
The Escorial sheep – supplier of high-quality wool
The Escorial sheep was originally bred in Spain and was part of the royal herds of El Escorial for centuries. It is only three-quarters the size of a Merino sheep and produces a correspondingly small wool yield. It has long been popular for its robust wool, which is particularly durable due to its corkscrew fibers. The flock of sheep once grazed in the palace gardens of El Escorial Castle in the Castilian plateau before being sold first to Australia and later to New Zealand.
The wool obtained from the Escorial sheep is processed exclusively in the luxury segment. It is not without reason considered the finest Merino wool in the world and is the trademark of the New Zealand-based Escorial Company NZ. The company is dedicated to breeding the Saxon line of pure-blooded Royal Escorial sheep.
As early as 1765, the Spanish king gave away numerous sheep to Saxony, and in 1829 a herd of around one hundred sheep was purchased by a Scottish woman, Eliza Furlonge, and shipped to Tasmania. Experience has shown that sheep breeding is particularly successful in the Australian grasslands. In 1987, the Radford family bought 40 lambs from the Australian herd to bring to the South Island of New Zealand. The herd now grazes on the Mount Arden farm.
The Escorial sheep originally comes from North Africa. In the 14th century, a herd was resettled in Spain, where it grazed on the Escorial plateau. 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 to protect the rare Escorial breed of sheep and to promote the quality of its wool. Founder Peter Radford discovered the wool in the 1980s and was impressed by the quality. Today, Escorial only sells the raw wool to the spinning mill Luxury Fabrics Ltd. in Yorkshire, Great Britain, which processes the wool into high-quality fabrics using special weaving processes. The brand's main aim is to produce first-class fabrics that carry the Escorial name around the world. More than 150 Escorial fabrics are available and are made into suits, blazers, jackets and coats.
Sustainability at Escorial
Despite the increasing popularity of wool and fabrics, the Escorial brand focuses on sustainable animal husbandry and animal welfare. Reducing CO2 emissions should help keep farmland healthy in the long term so that future generations can use it. This is achieved through small herds that graze in natural surroundings. Each year, only a small amount of raw wool is delivered to a selected partner who can trace the origin of the wool in detail. Escorial is a member of the NFZAP, the New Zealand Nation Farm Assurance, which sets standards for wool production in terms of origin, traceability and animal welfare. This means that you can be confident that when you buy a garment made from Escorial fabric, you are buying a high-quality, animal-friendly and environmentally friendly product.
Are you curious? We will be happy to advise you on the right fabric for your tailor-made suit and show you various Escorial fabrics. Just talk to us, we look forward to your visit!