Feeling For … Ragg Wool
December 9, 2008
Hermès cashmere socks and boots on the fall 2008 runway.
Bruce Pask, T Magazine’s men’s fashion director, writes on style every two weeks.
I love the cold! The switch from transitional outerwear to full-fledged cold-bearing clothes allows me to wear my long underwear (I have the perfect pair of John Bartlett charcoal gray lightweight wool long johns made by Zimmerli) and my heavy ragg wool socks. Ragg wool is a marled yarn of two different colors speckled together in a salt-and-pepperish kind of way. It usually comes in cream and beige or cream and navy, but there are plenty of other color combinations. Wigwam is probably the best-known company producing ragg wool socks, but plenty of other manufacturers offer them as well. On the higher end, or for those allergic to anything other than 10-ply cashmere, Hermès is offering an ultra-luxe, multicolored version of ragg wool in heavy socks and knit stocking caps this season — I guess we’ll have to call it ragg cashmere. I’m also a fan of ragg wool gloves, especially the fingerless knit ones, which are perfect for iPhone/cellphone dialing in the cold. Wear ragg wool on your feet, head or hands — whatever your choice, I’m feeling for it!
Read previous Feeling For posts.
The Moment 
Where can I find 10-ply cashmere, Hermès ultra-luxe, multicolored version of ragg wool in heavy socks and knit stocking caps this season?
Love the ragg look, have you tried Smartwool? Emmett
where can I buy those boots.
In Berlin, rag wool socks are very popular. People consider them part of the “new tyrolean” uniform. I wrote a brief of this trend at http://www.retailrefugees.com
Hermès Ragg? I prefer to call it raggshmere.
Hi!
Could you please tell me who makes the boots that are in this “rag wool” feature?
Thank you so much.
Michelle
Love the boots – who makes them? Are they waterproof/resistant?
Hermes socks and caps can be found at Hermes NY Madison Avenue
The boots are man’s boots – available also at Hermes
I think you need to be in a very cold climate to wear ragg wool socks without your feet getting overheated
L.L.Bean sells very comfortable wool-blend ragg socks.
I always say, if you’re not itchy you’re not warm!