Origin, softness, and French craftsmanship
- Arles merino wool comes from a French sheep breed, raised mainly in the Crau plain in Provence.
- Its fineness is around 21 microns, making it one of the finest wools in Europe.
- At this level of fineness, it can be worn next to the skin without itching for most body types.
- Long neglected in favor of meat production, French wool is now experiencing a resurgence in value through local industries.
- At Cabane, Arles merino is gradually being incorporated into collections, knitted and manufactured in Roanne.
- A "merino wool" label does not mean Arles merino: the French origin must be explicitly stated.
The word merino is everywhere on labels. Arles merino, however, is much less common. Yet, it is a French wool, born in the south of the country, with a long history and a fineness that places it among the best in Europe. Arles merino wool has long been a blind spot in ready-to-wear. It is making a comeback. We are gradually integrating it into our collections ourselves. Here's what you need to understand about it, without shortcuts.
Arles merino wool, a breed born in the Crau
Let's start with the sheep. Arles merino is a French sheep breed, developed in the southeast of the country in the 19th century. It originated from the crossbreeding of local ewes with merino rams from Spain, distributed in the region from 1804 from the imperial sheepfold of Arles. The idea at the time was to add Spanish merino blood to French flocks, renowned for the fineness of their fleece.
The breed now numbers around 250,000 ewes. Nine out of ten live in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, with a historical heart in the Crau plain, in the Bouches-du-Rhône. It is a hardy animal, built for transhumance. It spends the winter in the dry plains of the Crau and joins the alpine pastures in summer. Its fleece is white, dense, long, made of fine, strongly crimped strands. This marked crimp partly explains the fiber's loft.
A fine fiber, in its rightful place
It's important to be precise about fineness, as that's where softness and comfort come into play. Arles merino wool averages around 21 microns. It is often presented as the finest in Europe, and it is among the loftiest in the world.
A benchmark helps to interpret this figure. The threshold above which wool begins to scratch is around 25 microns for most people. Below this, the fiber bends on contact with the skin instead of pricking it. At 21 microns, Arles merino easily passes this threshold. It can be worn next to the skin.
There is still a nuance, and we prefer to mention it. So-called extrafine merinos often go below 19 microns, sometimes much lower. These are found in the lightest, most body-hugging knits. Arles merino plays a different role. A slightly more present, lofty, warm, full-bodied fiber. Neither better nor worse. Different, and suited for pieces that hold their structure.
A small technical detail, for those interested: its washing yield is low, around 41%. Therefore, a lot of raw wool is needed to produce yarn, which impacts its processing cost.
The revalorization of French wool
France shears a lot of wool every year. However, a large part of it goes abroad, due to a lack of outlets in the country. Arles merino is no exception to this logic. Long raised for its fleece, it saw wool prices collapse in the 20th century with the arrival of synthetic fibers. Farmers turned to meat production. Wool became a byproduct.
In recent years, the trend has reversed. Valorization initiatives, such as the Tricolor Collective, are seeking to rebuild a French wool industry, from shearing to knitting. Arles merino, due to its quality, is at the heart of this effort and alone justifies this entire approach. For a knitwear brand like ours, which knits exclusively in France and highlights its natural materials, taking an interest in this wool and this sector is essential. It is the logical next step for our CABANE knitwear.
Arles merino at Cabane
Our yarns have long been selected from the best spinning mills, mainly Italian. The choice is always based on the same criteria: origin of the wool, respect for animals and people, environmental labels, fineness of the wool for softness, resistance for durability, and washing behavior.
A yarn that scratches, pills quickly, or wears out too quickly will not be included in the collection.
Arles merino fits this framework with an additional advantage: a French origin, fully traceable, consistent with our manufacturing process. We are gradually introducing it into our collections. The production logic, however, remains unchanged. Each piece is knitted and manufactured in Roanne, in specialized workshops. Each model is tested for over a year before going on sale to guarantee the quality we seek. Each production is pre-washed, to guarantee a machine wash without unpleasant surprises. This demand for yarn and manufacturing is part of our material selection process, upstream, even before knitting.
Specifically, you will find this material in part of our collections throughout the seasons, alongside the other yarns we work with. The exact composition is specified on each product sheet, model by model. All our men's and women's knitwear collections follow the same line: fewer pieces, better chosen and designed to last several winters. An expertise we have been developing for over 10 years now.
Caring for a merino wool sweater
Merino wool washes better than one might think. Wool program, maximum 20 degrees, appropriate detergent, gentle spin, flat drying. The industrial pre-washing of our pieces limits the risk of shrinkage during the first machine wash. This pre-washing also helps to set and stabilize the knit, giving the sweater the necessary structure to last for years.
A merino sweater, whether from Arles or not, also gets dirty less quickly and requires less washing than other natural materials: a few hours outdoors in the fresh air are often enough to refresh it. For detailed instructions, we have compiled our best washing practices.
What to remember about Arles merino wool
Arles merino wool is not a regional curiosity. It is a fine, French fiber, long underutilized, that is gradually regaining its place in high-end knitwear. Seeing it arrive in a wardrobe knitted in Roanne makes sense: same country, same standards, from sheep to sweater.
It is a revalorization of wool and local industries that gives even more meaning to our approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arles merino wool truly French?
Yes. Arles merino is a French sheep breed, raised mainly in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, with a historical base in the Crau plain. The wool from these flocks is therefore indeed produced in France.
Does Arles merino wool scratch?
For most people, no. Its fineness of approximately 21 microns places it below the threshold beyond which wool becomes irritating, generally estimated at around 25 microns. It can therefore be worn next to the skin, even if extrafine merinos, which are even finer, remain the benchmark for the lightest knits.
What is the difference between merino wool and Arles merino?
"Merino wool" refers to a fine fiber from merino sheep, produced mainly in the Southern Hemisphere, in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, etc. It is then usually spun in Italy. Arles merino is a specific French breed. A sweater can therefore be made of merino wool without containing a gram of Arles merino. Without an explicit origin mention, it is not.
Why is French wool so little used in ready-to-wear?
Because the industry has long lacked outlets. After the collapse of prices in the 20th century, sheep farming turned to meat production and a large part of the wool shorn in France was exported. Revalorization initiatives, such as the Tricolor Collective, are now working on a local industry, from shearing to knitting. Everything needs to be rebuilt and revalued.
Are Cabane sweaters made from Arles merino wool?
Arles merino is gradually being incorporated into our collections. Historically, our merino yarns mainly came from Italian spinning mills and originated from Australia and New Zealand, chosen for their fineness and durability. We are now integrating French wool, with the same quality focus, knitted and manufactured in Roanne. Depending on the models and seasons, the exact composition is specified on each product sheet.