Tailor-made suits from Escorial – luxury with unique quality
Sheep's wool is one of the most popular natural fibers used in the clothing industry. Depending on the quality of the sheep's wool, there can be significant differences in quality. Escorial is a particularly fine breed of sheep that produces high-quality wool of the same name, which is processed into luxurious Escorial fabric. We'll show you what makes this fabric so soft and cozy and why it's perfect for your custom-made suit.
Escorial wool comes from Spain, where the small sheep were part of the royal herds of El Escorial. Today, only a few animals remain in Australia and New Zealand, making the wool all the more desirable. The quality of Escorial fiber comes from its twisted shape, which resembles a twisted spring. This creates maximum flexibility, resulting in a soft and supple fabric. It is this unique suppleness that distinguishes all Escorial garments and makes them so valuable. Many customers describe the feel as "like asecond skin," which 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 their extremely soft feel and suppleness. Escorial is a type of merino wool fabric, but it is much softer and just as robust as the merino wool fabric you are familiar with. These two properties are rarely found in combination, which is what makes Escorial fabric so expensive and valuable. The shape of the twisted fiber, the length of the individual fibers, and the three-dimensional crimp ensure elasticity and a wrinkle-free drape, which also makes the fabric very easy to care for.
The surface of Escorial fabric has a matte sheen that looks very luxurious and flatters everyone who wears it. Suits in particular are often made from Escorial because it is comfortable to wear and retains its shape, meaning that ironing is rarely necessary. Escorial fibers also have 30% more scales than conventional sheep's wool. This allows them to bond better during spinning, which makes the fiber softer and provides better insulation. The fibers can also absorb water better and wick it away 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 herds of El Escorial for centuries. It is only three-quarters the size of a Merino sheep and produces a correspondingly small amount of wool. It has long been popular for its robust wool, which is particularly durable thanks to its corkscrew fibers. The flock of sheep once grazed in the palace gardens of El Escorial Castle on the Castilian plateau before being sold first to Australia and later to New Zealand.
The wool obtained from Escorial sheep is used exclusively in the luxury segment. It is rightly 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 purebred Royal Escorial sheep.
As early as 1765, numerous sheep were given to Saxony as a gift by the Spanish king, and in 1829, a herd of about 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 them to New Zealand's South Island. The herd now grazes on Mount Arden Farm.
The Escorial sheep originally comes from North Africa. In the 14th century, a herd was relocated to 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 sheep breed and promote the quality of its wool. Founder Peter Radford discovered the wool in the 1980s and was impressed by its quality. Today, Escorial sells its raw wool exclusively to the Luxury Fabrics Ltd. spinning mill in Yorkshire, UK, which uses special weaving techniques to transform the wool into high-quality fabrics. The brand's main focus is on producing first-class fabrics that carry the Escorial name around the world. More than 150 fabrics from Escorial are available and are used to make suits, blazers, jackets, and coats.
Sustainability at Escorial
Despite the growing popularity of wool and fabrics, sustainable animal husbandry and animal welfare remain a priority for the Escorial brand. ReducingCO2 emissions will help to keep farmland healthy in the long term so that future generations can continue to use it. This is achieved by keeping small herds that graze in a natural environment. 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. So 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 would be happy to advise you on the right fabric for your tailor-made suit and show you various Escorial fabrics. Just get in touch—we look forward to seeing you!