Wool infused garments continue to be a growing trend, and were seen in products all over the show floor. Brands such as Icebreaker, SmartWool and Ibex have plenty of company now, as wool is making its mark in some less traditional areas as well.

Smartwool is making an aggressive push into the casual market with a full line of men’s and women’s boiled wool sweaters. Previously, the company would not make a piece unless there was a distinct performance attribute included and they also made everything washable. The new line of casual sweaters meets neither of these criteria, but they will certainly appeal to the outdoor lifestyle customer that is making the vast majority of purchases at specialty retail today. The 70’s retro styling of many of the pieces adds more fashion flair than anything in Smartwool’s line previously. The new sweaters are also cross merchandised with many of the company’s casual sock colors as well. Finally, the company created some additional accessories, like hats and scarves, to compliment the new sweaters.

Icebreaker launched their first line of socks, putting the company’s entire line in direct competition with Smartwool. Jeremy Moon, Icebreaker’s CEO said that they had been making socks in New Zealand for a season, but this would be the global launch for the line extension. The company also created a new line of women’s underwear that is more style oriented than the basic merino long-john. In addition, in the spring Icebreaker will open their first North American Design center in Portland, OR, with Sandy LaRowe, a former Nike vet, as the head designer.

Ibex is expanding into the broader casual and lifestyle segments. A new booth introduced at Winter Market provided a much more inviting environment for visiting retailers to review the line. New designs and colors for men and women added depth and breadth to the line. For the fall winter collection 2007, patterned Merino sweaters for men and women have broadened the midlayer category.

While Under Armour has shaken up the sporting goods world with their performance compression base layers, nearly every company involved in the wool base layer game said that they have yet to feel any impact. Most agree that this is because merino wool base layers come in at a much higher price point than even the most expensive synthetic pieces. Because of this, they cater to a completely different customer and sell to a different breed of retailers.