Field to Garment: Creating Clothes That Matter

"Wear Clothes that Matter."  - Solitaire Townsend

From field to garment, every step matters. As part of #fashionrevolutionweek, we wanted to share what matters to us when creating our cherished merino wool goods. 

The land and sheep where are merino comes from, matter. Our story starts with merino sheep living in free-range pasture-based ranches in New Zealand and Australia—all of which are certified by the Responsible Wool Standard, meaning that each individual ranch meets strict animal welfare and environmental standards. Never mulesed, our merino sheep display natural patterns of behavior, namely roaming and grazing in mountainous meadows.

The environment and the ways in which we impact it, matter. At the beginning of our supply chain, we have chosen to work exclusively with Bluesign systems partners as our merino fabric suppliers. Bluesign's aim is to reduce the ecological footprint of the textile industry and realize environmentally responsible textile production worldwide.  

We recognize that our fabric production is not the only step that impacts the environment. We are continually looking for ways to reduce the footprint of Chasing Windmills.  Our home office subsidizes the generation of wind power.  We offset the carbon produced by our home office energy use and shipping worldwide, thanks to the good people of TerraPass.  We use recycled materials for our mailers. Our merino fiber is naturally renewable, with the sheep being shorn once per year. And, best of all, merino is biodegradable -- all thanks to Mama Nature. 

The livelihood of all workers sewing our garments, matters. Since Spring 2016, we're proud to have partnered with a USA worker-owned facility called Opportunity Threads. Based in North Carolina, they are part of a concerted effort to revitalize the once-booming textiles industry in the Carolinas. Opportunity Threads believes in its workers, so much so that after a vetting process, the workers have the opportunity to become owners in the company—quite literally spreading opportunity through needle and thread.

Our design and final creation, matter. We strive to create simple, timeless merino pieces that will be cherished by your children. Made to withstand the trends and seasons, we hope our goods are always loved, cared for, repaired, and loved some more -- joining your little adventurers on their memorable journeys. 

Together, all of these things matter. Our vision has always been to be a conscious company that cares for not just profits, but the lives it touches and the environment it graces. We are grateful for you -- our costumers, cheerleaders, and supporters -- for always inspiring us to do what matters.

Keeping Our Waterways Free of Micro-Plastics

We are stewards of the land and seas, if not for ourselves, then certainly for our kids. The small choices we make today affect the natural world that our kids come to know and love.

Everyday as parents, we collectively have the power to make decisions that will benefit our children and their relationship with nature. We are grateful for Mother Nature and respect her gifts.

And so, we bring reusable bags to the grocery store instead of using single-use plastic bags; we carry reusable water bottles instead of drinking from disposable plastic bottles; and, on a pleasant summer’s day, we bike to the farmer’s market instead of driving.

In the grand scheme of things, it may seem like these small choices don’t really matter. But the truth is that a waterfall begins with a single drop of water. Together, our small choices make a big difference.

The clothes we wear represent one of those small choices with big impact. According to a recent report, synthetic plastic-based fibers, such as polyester, are becoming ubiquitous in our clothes—and our waterways.

From 1992 to 2010, demand for synthetic clothing jumped 300%. When we wash these synthetic garments, micro-plastics (that is, tiny pieces of plastic) break free from the garment and go down the drain. 

Eventually, those micro-plastics make their way to our oceans. Approximately one-third of the annual 1.5 million tons of micro-plastics come from washing synthetic clothing.

Thankfully, merino is different. Naturally biodegradable, merino wool returns to the Earth. When micro-merino-fibers go down the drain in the wash, they breakdown and become one with nature again. In fact, if you were to bury a merino wool t-shirt in the ground, it would take just nine months for the soil to reclaim the merino fabric!

And so, when we dress ourselves and our kids in merino in the morning, we act as faithful stewards of the land and sea. It may seem like a small choice but, when multiplied across hundreds and thousands of families, it makes a big difference.

Mother Nature's Original High-Performance Baselayer

A high-performance base layer that doubles as your kid’s softest and coziest set of pajamas? Yup, that pretty much describes our thermal long johns, designed for daytime adventures and a good night’s sleep.

To achieve this design goal, we rely upon a natural fiber engineered by Mother Nature’s patient evolution: merino wool. No other fiber—manmade or natural—can quite match merino’s unique properties.

First, it’s soft. Really soft. Really super soft. Measuring in at 18.9 millionths of a meter, each merino fiber in our collection is incredible fine—which translates to itch-free next-to-skin comfort and softness.

At pop-up shops, parents are often surprised by the soft handle of merino and ask us: “This is really wool?” Yes, it’s true. Merino sheep produce the finest softest wool you’ve ever felt. We source our merino fabric directly from New Zealand, where merino sheep roam mountainous meadows. 

While you’ll notice its softness first, merino’s unique qualities do not end there. Merino wool is a natural temperature-regulator, thanks to an insulating effect created by tiny crimping in its fibers. As a result, the wearer is insulated against hot and cold temperature swings—keeping you warm in the cold and cool in the heat. No synthetic fabric can replicate this effect quite like merino.

Merino also naturally wicks away moisture and retains heat even when wet—a key performance metric for winter play in the great outdoors. Cotton, on the other hand, robs the wearer of warmth when wet and dries slowly. In contrast, merino continues working hard to keep the wearer comfortable in dry and wet conditions. In fact, merino can hold up to one-third of its weight in water before it even feels wet!  

And, unlike synthetic fabrics which stubbornly cling to odor (that is, bacteria!), merino is naturally anti-microbial which means your little one will have a better-smelling garment that needs less washing. What parent doesn’t need a little help cutting down on laundry?

If you’re like us, you are also drawn to merino as a natural fiber as opposed to, say, a petroleum-based fiber like polyester. If we’re heading outdoors, we just feel better wearing a high-performance fabric engineered by nature instead of plastic-based clothing.

Because let's talk about the issue of plastics. Every year, several millions of tons of plastic enter our oceans. This floating plastic includes microfibers that become separated from our synthetic clothing in the wash. These micro-plastics from synthetic clothing find their way into our streams, rivers, and oceans. And they never biodegrade. Those polyester baselayers will leave their mark on this earth for a LONG time.

Merino wool, on the other hand, is naturally biodegradable. In fact, if you were to bury a merino t-shirt in the ground, chances are it’ll be completely gone in less than a year! Merino will always return to the Earth.

Merino wool will always represent the soulful base of everything we make. After all, Mama Nature knows best.

Merino Wool: Mother Nature's Original High-Performance Fiber

With cold weather descending, we turn to merino wool to keep our kids warm, cozy, and active.

But why not cotton or synthetic fibers? Why do we choose 100% merino wool as the soulful base of everything we make, including our thermal long johns?

Quite simply, Mother Nature engineered merino wool to keep the wearer warm, cozy, and active when temperatures drop this fall and winter.

Unlike cotton, merino naturally wicks away moisture and retains heat even when wet. If your little one is wearing cotton long johns and snow slips under the jacket, the cotton layer will rob the wearer of warmth. 

Not so with merino. Nature’s original high-performance fiber holds in warmth even when wet and dries quickly. Whether it’s a little sweat or an errant snow ball, merino works hard to keep your little one active and cozy in all types of conditions. 

Cotton just can’t match merino’s natural temperature-regulating properties.

And neither can petroleum-based synthetic fibers like polyester. Although quick-drying, synthetic fibers can’t match merino’s natural insulating effect which helps the wearer maintain a consistent and comfortable body temperature.

Plus, if you’re like us, you just feel better wearing a natural fiber from the world’s softest sheep. We source our merino directly from New Zealand to ensure next-to-skin plush softness and comfort.

Our long johns will be your kid’s favorite high-performance base layer and softest pair of pajamas, all in one super soft set. And for that, we have Mother Nature to thank.

Summertime Merino

Want to know Mother Nature’s secret to keeping your kiddos cool and comfortable during the warm summer months? It’s merino wool!

Our summertime adventure collection — graphic tees for good, pocket tees, shorts, and hoodies — is made from super soft, breathable, moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating 100% merino wool. Merino is the ideal fabric for summertime adventures, big and small.

But we get it. When we were kids, we never thought of wool for summer months. When we thought of wool as kids growing up, it was that heavy coarse sweater that we pulled on to keep us warm during winter’s chill.

Merino wool is different. Sourced from a specific breed of sheep roaming mountainous New Zealand and Australian meadows, merino wool provides next-to-skin softness. And specifically for our at play collection, we have designed all of our tees with a super lightweight merino fabric, keeping those kiddos cool and comfy all day long.

In fact, researchers have found that 100% merino wool is better than synthetic blends at keeping the wearer dry and comfortable in warm conditions.

Mama Nature endowed merino wool with some pretty incredible attributes, including its ability to wick away moisture, stay fresh (thanks to its anti-microbial properties), and help maintain a consistent body temperature. After all, merino sheep have evolved to keep comfortable in all the extremes of heat, cold, and wet that nature can throw at them.

And, as parents, we've realized how merino even saves some of our sanity when it comes to summertime travel. Because of its relative weightlessness, merino wool is easy to pack.  And, if you wash one of our merino tees at night in a hotel sink and hang to dry (because kids always manage to dirty more clothes than you plan for, right?), you’ll find a fresh and dry t-shirt in the morning — ready for the day’s adventures!

Thanks, Mama Nature. Always looking after us.

Merino Wool: A Field to Garment Story

In our modern society, we are often disconnected from the source of what we consume — whether it’s what we eat or what we wear.

And like an increasing number of people, we feel a sense of loss. We yearn to be connected to the natural world and to understand our place and our footprint.

That yearning is at the heart of Chasing Windmills. We’re striving to create a connection to the natural world from the earliest moments of childhood. We succeed if we plant the seeds of appreciation for what Mother Nature provides and respect for living harmoniously with her.

For us, it all starts with the merino sheep. Our merino wool comes from Responsible Wool certified ranches in New Zealand and Australia, where sheep live exclusively on free-range, pasture-based farming. The sheep are cared for by ranchers like Philip Rive, who grew up riding his pony in the mountainous meadows where his merino sheep now graze.

Once a year in the springtime, Philip’s merino sheep are brought down from their rich pastureland to be shorn. Our New Zealand-based merino fabric supplier then transforms those super soft merino fleeces into the fabric that serves as the soulful base of everything we make.

Our fabric provider is also a Bluesign Systems Partner, further demonstrating our ecological commitment from farm to fabric to finished garment. Bluesign's aim, for example, is to reduce the ecological footprint of the textile industry and realize environmentally responsible textile production worldwide.

If you’ve never felt merino wool before, you’ll be surprised by just how fine and soft it is. Unlike some other wool fibers that are thick and scratchy, merino sheep produce the softest and finest wool you’ll find anywhere. Caring for a merino sheep with such a soft and delicate wool fleece is not easy.  It takes ranchers who truly love what they do.

From field to garment, the story of merino wool is a labor of love — from the ranchers like Philip Rive caring for his sheep to the worker-owners at Opportunity Threads who make our garments.

To us, supporting merino wool is not about buying a commodity in a supply chain. It’s about investing in a way of life, or better yet a way of living in harmony with nature.  It’s about caring for the story behind what we consume.

It’s a story we’re proud to be part of.

More than a Swaddle

This photo from @tea.lopez made us so happy.  Partly because her little babe is so precious.  Partly because we want to feel the sand in our toes as we walk along that beach.

And partly because it captures our hopes for this little company.  When we created Chasing Windmills, we set out to design timeless pieces that would become more than the sum of their parts. 

We hoped that our rompers would pass from sibling to younger sibling; that our swaddle and companion blankets would become the favorite blankie that traveled everywhere with a little one; and that our beanies could be worn in the nursery or outside on a cool spring evening.  In short, we hoped that our pieces would be functional yet imaginatively adaptive.

And so, this photo made us happy indeed.  We never envisioned our swaddle laid on a beach, and that’s precisely why we smiled when we saw it used this way.

Yes, we’d choose our swaddle hands-down over anything else out there to swaddle a little baby.  It’s super soft with just the right amount of stretch- Moms and Dads tell us how perfectly snug and cozy their little ones stay in our swaddles.

But we didn’t design just a swaddle.  It’s a beach blanket.  It’s the roof of a play tent hoisted by a toddler builder.  It's a play dress or cape. It’s the comforting blanket a little one grabs before that car ride up to the mountains.  It’s anything a little one can dream up.

We’d love to see how you and your little one use our swaddles.  It’s a big beautiful world out there, and we’re only limited by our imaginations. 

beautiful simplicity: when less is more

Beautiful simplicity.  That’s our design inspiration.

And, in a way, it’s our business model too.  We believe in creating something beautiful and timeless that does everything you need without overwhelming you or your little one with unnecessary bells and whistles.  We resist the urge to over-sell and over-design.

It’s also why we don’t offer baby apparel in bulk packs.  As first-time parents, we quickly learned a valuable lesson: we didn’t need ten of everything for our twins.  Although we had a dozen or so swaddles neatly folded in our closet, we used the same swaddles over and over for our two kids.  We found our favorites and stuck with them.

And so, we designed our collection with the hopes that our pieces would become the go-to favorites for your little ones.  Favorites that will work any season, any decade, any place your travels may take you.  Favorites that evoke a sense of warmth, peace, and connection to nature.  Favorites that generate warmth without bulk, wick away moisture, resist odor, and comfort with super softness. 

The average U.S. consumer purchases 80 pounds of clothing per year.  If we’re honest with ourselves, we could all get by with a little less bulk.  And that starts with us and our kids.

We say: simplify.  It’s not about getting by with less.  It’s about stripping away the excess and loving that which you need.  It’s about opting for quality over quantity.  It’s about embracing something that is beautifully simple and yet so special.

Let’s make a statement together by shedding some of those 80 pounds of clothing.  Try a few pounds of merino, and you’ll be amazed at how far it goes.

Beautiful Simplicity

Bruce Lee, martial arts guru, actor, and former baby, once said: “One does not accumulate but eliminate.  It is not daily increase but daily decrease.  The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.”

We agree, which is why we keep things simple at Chasing Windmills.  No overworked garments; no synthetic blends; no unnecessary bells and whistles.  We aim to provide beautiful simplicity.

Take our little romper.  It’s a one-piece coverall, complete with footies that can double as built-in socks, fold-over mitts for little hands, an easy zip, and 100% merino wool.  It’s simple and that’s why we love it.

We figured you would appreciate its beautiful simplicity as well.  As parents of twins, we know first-hand how much gear we accumulate for our little ones — strollers, carriers, rattles, activity centers, and the list goes on and on.  

Sometimes it feels good to take a deep breath and simplify.  It’s why a sense of calm washes over you when your child plays with, say, a wooden camera from The Twig Co.

It’s timeless, pure, and comforting.   Kind of like merino wool.

Our Story: The Co-Founders of Chasing Windmills

You could say that the story of Chasing Windmills began when we were 18.  We met at Bowdoin College in Maine, two young idealistic kids with creative impulses and socially minded goals. 

Breathing the fresh Maine air for four years really makes one appreciate the goodness of the outdoors.   And with JP’s Colorado childhood spent in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, we’ve always had a deep appreciation for the awesome beauty of Mother Nature.  So it might seem like it has been a clear path for us in creating a merino wool apparel line. 

But before we set out to capture the adventurous spirit of childhood through the natural goodness of merino wool, we went on a journey.  We’d love to say that our journey led us past the sea cliffs of the Faroe Islands or through the Chilean peaks and valleys of Patagonia.  

Those journeys still await us.  The journey we’re talking about was much more modest.  It includes missteps, grasping for answers, and learning our way to be freely us.

You see, we stumbled upon merino wool almost by accident.  At a time when we both held corporate gigs, Sarah gave JP an orange merino wool t-shirt.  

On weekdays, JP wore a suit and tie to work.  On weekends, he wore his orange t-shirt.  He felt at home, at ease, and at peace in merino.  Whether hiking in the mountains or running errands around town, JP just felt better wearing the natural merino fiber.

At a time when JP was falling in love with his merino weekends, Sarah was turning to the art of photography.  Soon it was time for Sarah to bid farewell to her corporate gig and seek a new path with her camera.

Inspired by Sarah’s creative leap, JP knew that his weekdays wearing a suit and tie were numbered.  Everyday would be a merino wool day soon enough.  It was just a matter of when.

The “when” became clear on a perfect November night when we welcomed twins into our lives.  We knew that merino wool would be the perfect natural fabric for our precious babies because nothing else feels so soft, wicks away moisture, regulates body temperature, and resists odor quite like it. 

Enter Chasing Windmills, our dream of bringing the natural goodness of merino wool to precious little ones far and near.  Mother Nature knows best, and so we trust her.

Our journey helped us create Chasing Windmills. “Explore, Dream, Discover” is not just a corporate tagline for us.  It’s the embodiment of our story, our journey, our joy in sharing this adventurous spirit.

This is only the beginning of our journey.  We are grateful to take the next steps with you.

Our family: Sarah, JP, and kiddos. (Photograph by Jonathan Canlas)