Merino Wool Neck Warmer

Keeping safe, keeping warm and keeping it sustainable

You spoke, we listened and now we are so excited! Ladies and gentlemen, let us introduce to you the new Core Merino Wool Neck Warmer!

Over the past couple of years, many of our returning customers provided us with their very helpful feedback about our garments to help us improve our products. Among these valuable customer insights was also the wish to add a neck warmer to the collection. We always thought it was a good idea, we just never got around to it. Until now.

While all of us in South Africa as well as in other countries abroad were in lockdown during the pandemic crisis it got us thinking. How can Core Merino be of value and support during these sad, scary, and testing times? How can we turn some of the restrictions and difficulties into an opportunity for our customers as well as for our business? This was our thought process:

  1. Face masks would sooner or later become a requirement for all of us to wear when we go out into public spaces as we could see this already happening in other countries.
  2. Face masks made out of merino wool would be great, as wool is breathable, manages moisture well, and is even antibacterial.
  3. We should try to develop and manufacture some with our suppliers abroad. However, with the less and more restrictive movement of cargo ships and planes, it would prove difficult to get merino wool facemasks to South Africa soon enough. Besides, our own online sales were down and so was the Rand, it would be quite an economic risk to our business to invest in face masks.
  4. Besides, face masks can be quite restrictive and uncomfortable to wear and might not be an item we would want to wear for years. What could be a safe but better alternative? Neck warmers pulled over our nose and mouth!
  5. The advantage, once neck warmers no longer need to function as face masks they still serve a purpose to keep us warm and protected during winter, chilly summer nights, or for UV protection.
  6. If the solution is neck warmers, how can we make neck warmers quickly? We have a lot of Core Merino garments in unpopular sizes in stock, of which the fabric could easily be used to sew neck warmers.
  7. South Africa has many talented seamstresses who have more time on their hands during the lockdown.
  8. Bam – Lightbulb moment! Let’s create Core Merino Neck warmers out of our unwanted garments and support our local community.

Yes, you read right, we cut up our own Core Merino garments and had them sewed into neck warmers by wonderfully talented local South African seamstresses.

Now that you know the background to these Core Merino neck warmers you will understand why they are so great:

  • Safe – Like with all other face masks or neck warmers, covering up your nose and mouth will help reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
  • Comfortable – A neck warmer made out of merino wool will ensure you stay more comfortable while covering up your face as the wool is breathable, manages moisture better, and regulates temperature.
  • Versatile – A Neck warmer can serve multiple purposes, which makes them a good and long-lasting investment. During the pandemic, it serves as a face mask. During winter time it protects against the cold wind like a scarf. The lightweight merino also adapts well to hot weather when you need to protect yourself against a strong daft, sun or mosquitos. Last but not least you can also wear it as head protection or bandana.
  • Sustainable – merino wool is already a sustainable fibre. In addition, we created these neck warmers out of unwanted garments from our existing stock. These neck warmers are putting existing resources to better use.
  • Supporting our local community – all neck warmers were cut and sewn in South Africa by local seamstresses, which ensures an income during difficult and uncertain economic times.

That’s the story about our new merino wool neck warmers. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do. Let us know your feedback and other ideas, as that is how great things start.

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