Friday, October 26, 2007

Cool Comfort




I attended a party for the brand Icebreaker at Opus Lounge on Tuesday. This line of pure merino wool clothing from New Zealand is outdoor/active gear and meant for layering in warm or cold weather. Items range from long-sleeve T-shirts and zip-up jackets to leggings, socks and more (shown is the men's "Sprint" zip, and the men’s Tech T Lite). Even better is that the line is sustainable; the product brochure notes that “Icebreaker fabrics use one-third the energy of polyester to manufacture, create virtually nil pollution and meet strict ISO4001 envinronmental standards.” Cool!
In 2008 customers will get even closer to their sheep friends who produce the merino wool in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. “Baacodes” are codes that match a batch of wool that the garment was produced from. That code will be printed inside Icebreaker garments so that wearers can trace back to one of the merino ranches that the garment came from. Molly King, marketing coordinator for the brand, says there will probably be another reason to look up your “baacode” online: customers could win a trip to New Zealand.
Icebreaker clothing sells very well at the following Madison stores: Rutabaga Paddle Sports, Budget Bicycle Center, A Stone’s Throw and Fontana.

A Stone’s Throw, 1925 Monroe St. 255-1925.
Budget Bicycle Center, 1230 Regent St. 251-8413
Fontana Sports Specialties, 251 State St. 257-5043; 7941 Tree Ln. 833-9191
Rutabaga Paddle Sports, 220 W. Broadway. 233-9300

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