Earth Sea Sky Merino Story
Earth Sea Sky Merino was introduced to our range in 2000. Its ability to be worn for prolonged lengths of time without washing, soft feel and natural origins made it the perfect addition to our travel/streetwear range.
We sourced our Merino fabric from the New Zealand knitting mill that developed a revolutionary superfine merino fabric range. Before this development wool fabrics were widely worn but renown for being scratchy when worn against the skin.
Merino is a breed of sheep traditionally farmed in the high country of New Zealand’s South Island. New Zealand has a reputation for growing the whitest, the cleanest and the most consistent quality Merino in the world.
Merino is graded by its fineness, and this is measured by the diameter of each individual fibre. New Zealand Merino generally ranges from 24 microns down to 11 microns (there are 1000 micron to 1mm). As a comparison the average diameter of a human hair is 60 micron.
When it comes to quality, Merino is measured by its micron, not its weight – the lower the micron, the finer the Merino and the higher the price. Buying a Merino garment without knowing the micron content is akin to buying a down sleeping bag or duvet without knowing the percentage of down or its filling power!
Using fibres 18.5 micron and less makes the fabrics soft and able to be worn comfortably against the skin. Using fibres of less than 17.5 microns becomes too costly due to their price. The very expensive extremely fine 16 micron and below Merino is woven into premium quality suiting fabric where lightness and breathability is more important than softness. At the other end of the micron scale, mid-layer and outer layer garments do not need the soft skin touch so the more durable 20 and above micron quality is suitable for these garments.
In 2010 the New Zealand knitting mill was purchased by an international company. In 2016 the factory was closed and its machinery and production moved to Vietnam in 2016. This closure meant it was no longer feasible for Earth Sea Sky to source Superfine Merino fabrics knitted in New Zealand.
Along with this move the company changed from their 100% NZ fibre to sourcing their Merino on the open international market. We were concerned at the loss of the 100% New Zealand Merino story and its renowned quality. After 18 months of searching, we found a USA based company that could offer 100% New Zealand Merino. The quality was superior to anything we could find in the market.
This Merino is made from wool grown on farms in Central Otago, is knitted and finished in Thailand. Garments are made in our Christchurch factory.
October 2025 update
While we continue to have good stocks of the original New Zealand Merino knitted in New Zealand and Thailand, sourcing fabrics knitted with New Zealand fibre is no longer readily available to small New Zealand manufacturers. This appears to be due to economies of scale and to purchases from large scale businesses outside New Zealand. This prevents small operators like us from sourcing New Zealand Merino unless we commit to large unrealistic and costly minimum quantities.
Currently our only option is to source Australian Merino that is knitted in Australia. We will still identify the micron content on all our merino garments which is the only way to determine the softness of the merino fibre, and all our garments will remain New Zealand made.
Ultrafine Merino
Merino Ultrafine
The finest and lightest Merino in our range. Ultrafine uses a 17.5 micron Merino knitted in a 140 gram/m2 single jersey construction to provide a stable, very soft, machine washable fabric.
Ultrafine is the best performing, natural next-to-skin layer in the outdoors as it combines fast drying properties with breathability and warmth.
Garments:
Men’s: Dart
Women’s: Cami
Unisex: Ninja
Ultrafine is 100% Merino
Merino Superfine
Our Superfine quality has remained unaltered since we first introduced Merino clothing into our range 26 years ago. It is renowned for its softness and durability. Even with constant washing this 200 gram/m² single jersey knit fabric is very staple, it will not lose shape, shrink or pill. Our Superfine fabric uses between 17.5 and 18.5 micron Merino and remains our most popular Merino fabric. It is used in our range of short and long-sleeved crew neck t-shirts, short and long-sleeved zip collared tops, skirts, and zip-up front hoodies.
Superfine is 100% Merino
Garments:
Men’s: Merino Singlet, Metro, Merino Polo, Satellite, Equinox, Slingshot
Women’s: Merino Singlet, Glow, Solstice, Rata, Catapult, Swing Skirt
Unisex: Pico, Merino Scarf, Merino Beanie
Superfine Stretch Merino
Our more technical next-to-skin Merino combines 18.5 micron Superfine with a small elastane content to produce a close fitting, four-way stretch, fabric that is guaranteed to maintain its shape after years of wear. For this range we have purposely chosen a single jersey knit over the less stable rib knit constructions. Rib knit has plenty of stretch, but it quickly loses its memory, creating permanent bagginess in the very places you do not want. Our single jersey construction will never do this.
All our Superfine Stretch Merino garments have flat low-profile seams for maximum comfort. This 210 grams/m² fabric is an ideal weight for durable foundation wear. It will never pill or change shape. Soft, hard wearing Superfine Stretch ensures close fitting, thermal efficiency with complete freedom of movement.
Superfine Stretch is 95% Merino 5% Elastane
Garments: Merino Boxers, Merino Long Johns
XT Merino
We spent a year with the knitting mill developing XT fabric to obtain the perfect mix of warm, weight, and durability for our mid-layer range of Merino garments. It has a soft, warm, terry loop inner surface and hard wearing, tight knit outer surface. The terry loop was created for maximum loft and warmth. XT is a 275 gram/m² fabric and uses a durable 20.5 micron Merino. Our range includes sweatshirts, sweatpants, hoodies and a more formal zip collared pullover.
Garments: Lounge Lizard, Roadie, Real McCoy
XT is 100% Merino
Merino Boucle
This is the last of our original outer layer Merino fabric. This fabric is a high-quality, double-knit Boucle with a small polyester content to ensure the fabric remains stable during washing and wear. The fabric is constructed with a looped outer surface and a smooth underside. This extremely hard wearing 360 gram/m² 21 micron fabric provides maximum warmth and wind protection. It is the closest we have come to a home-grown generic New Zealand garment. The merino was grown in the South Island’s McKenzie High Country, it was processed in Wellington, then knitted in Auckland with garments made in Christchurch.
Merion Boucle is 93% Merino 7% Polyester
Garments:
Women’s: Ngaio
