Icebreaker - Pure Merino

Unbaalievable!

Years ago I took a trip to NZ with my family from the US…it was in about 2000 I think. It was there I first met Icebreaker garments and was moderately impressed with the quality, feel, and wearability of the hat and sweater I purchased. On returning back to the US, I found merino boxer shorts online and immediately ordered a couple of pairs for shipment. It was through those wonderful trousers that I really fell in love with the product. Now that I’ve traced the baacode of my most recent boxer short replacements (after about 100+ days of use in the field as a wilderness guide, the waistbands are kaput and holes are forming in the high friction zones) to the actual stations from which they originated, I can’t help but upgrade my assessment to WILDLY IMPRESSED!

My first pair of shorts had thick seams and no front “outlet.” The second generation was a quantum leap into comfiness and durability and was purchased at a mountaineering store in Boulder, CO (they were finally catching on). FINALLY, this generation that I now own (bought two pairs of size medium 200 weight boxers with fly…my wife insisted as the others were falling around my ankles and full of holes…please forgive the detail, but I have a close relationship with these garments J) represent a level of industrial integrity like none I’ve seen before. Thanks so much for what you do!

Here’s what your garments have helped me do:

Over 100 days in the deserts of Utah and Arizona working with drug addicts and “restless” teens learning survival and interpersonal skills…I’d wear your boxer shorts and 260 weight sweater for as much as 8 days at a time! I’d advertise this fact to my clients too as a testament to the wonderful “non-wifiness” of merino.

Over 3.5 years guiding in Oregon, Colorado, and Florida with Outward Bound…challenge and adventure for all walks of life. I think I lost my IB skull cap somewhere in these journeys L

NOW with over 50 days in the Colorado Rockies this summer, I’m going to use my newest shorts as a Project Coordinator for a Veterans Green Corps…military vets doing trailwork and forest fire fuels mitigation in the Colorado Rockies. My Corps members already know how much of a fan of your product I am. Keep up the great work. You guys rock!

Sincerely,

- Jason Lawrence, Icebreaker Fan, Veterans Green Corps

We want people to see our undies! And our v-necks and crewes.

Our friends at TinyChoices.com blog about trying out our garments and using Baacode to trace it through our supply chain and back to the Glen Orkney and Stonehenge sheep stations.

Jenn at Tiny Choices writes: “I am happy to own a piece of clothing which I kind of consider an investment: the high price ensures that each purchase is carefully considered, and the material - wool - is sure to last a very long time.”

We’ve had over 80,000 people view Baacode since we started our traceability programme last November.

We’ve just added new sheep stations and soon you will be able to trace Icebreaker socks too. Sustainablility has always been core to us, and we think it starts with transparency and traceability.

We’ve also heard of a few companies in other industries with tracebility programmes:

Stone-Buhr flour in Washington State in the U.S. has a “Find the Farmer” program The New York Times reported on.

An apparel group in The Netherlands has a track & trace program, which starts at the factory/manufacturing level -not at the origin of the ingredients (flour, fibre, rubber, etc.).

An Aussie company allows you to trace your jam, and was featured by Springwise. 

And here’s an effort involving jewellery.

Traceability is also becoming a major issue in the fair labour world. The Fair Labour Association is partnering with several organizations cotton traceability.

Do you know of other efforts?

We’re still learning and experimenting with Baacode and hope you’re enjoying meeting our Southern Alps farmers and sheep.

What do you think so far?

At Icebreaker, we know how to party. So it’s no surprise that a recent launch event held for New Zealand media in Auckland was noisy, raucous and action-packed.

Our models hammed it up on stage, throwing killer “blue steel” looks from the catwalk and treating guests to outrageous twirls, spins and dips. They even formed a human pyramid to show their commitment to Icebreaker’s athletic, outdoor image.

CEO Jeremy Moon had a great time telling everyone about Icebreaker, and a grower had a yarn about his merino sheep.

Guests were given a cool new Bodyfit+ top, and used our online traceability programme, Baacode, to trace the merino fibre in their new garment through the supply chain and right back to the farm where it was grown.

The Ramatour - our sexy mascot - was a hit with female guests, and everyone loved watching Junior range models Leo (five) and Scarlet (six) strut their stuff on the catwalk. We also showcased our Bodyfit+ and Icebreaker_GT ranges at the event.

Guests enjoyed snacking from their bags of sheep poo - which, you’ll be relieved to hear, were actually chocolate-covered raisins. Equally delicious were cocktails from 42Below canapés from Mint Kitchen, and the models serving them (all clad in our Nature and Beast underwear ranges).

Check out the pics of the event - you’ll love them.