What is a Super 'S' Number?
Ever wondered what that Super / 'S' Number means? A Super / 'S' Number is simply a measurement of how fine the yarn of wool was that was used to construct the garment. To put it simply, the higher the Super / 'S' number, the finer the yarn and thus the more luxurious and lightweight the fabric and drape. Super / 'S' Numbers range from 250 down to 80.
Do not be mistaken however, although fabrics with a higher Super / 'S' Number will be finer, softer and a lighter weight, the Super / 'S' Number is not by any means a measure of quality. The fabric house and the methods that the house use are much more critical when determining the quality of the fabric that you purchase, compared to the Super / 'S' Number. The fabric house that produced the fabric could have superior or inferior weaving techniques and/or dyes and it is these methods that will ultimately determine the quality of the fabric, not the Super / 'S' Number.
History
Looking at all of the top end suits that are on the market today, they all have one shared trait. They're all made from wool from sheep which descended from six sheep (two males and four females). King Charles IV of Spain gave a man named Colonel Gordon these six sheep in 1789. He then took these sheep to South Africa. Years later, a man bought 26 of these offspring and transported them to Australia. 26 of these sheep became over 120 million sheep, and founded the Australian wool industry.
Before we had technology, quality of garments ranked based on how many yards could be spun out of one pound of sheep’s wool. 560 yards typically equaled a single pound. If a pound could yield this much, it received a "60" count. This is what started the basis for using Super Numbers. Higher wool counts meant higher prices, but with that raised price came a softer, more luxurious textile.
For a long time the best counts available were 60-70. Years went on and sheep's wool changed consistently in the 70-80 range. This was impeccable wool and it became very popular. Limited quantities were available and growers were not happy. They worked hard until they could produce the unthinkable...100 count wool. They never thought it could get that high, until it did.
Super 100s were born, and it was very exclusive and highly sought after. A new era was born which began to produce a booming market. Moving on to today's society, breeders can now make fleece that reaches over Super200. Impractical, yet very impressive from where we once began.
International StandardThe International Wool Textile Organisation dedicated a lot of their time to promote the labelling system to the Fabric Labelling Code of Practice. This practice governs the use of using Super / 'S' Number labelling only to refer to pure wool. Having this standard allows customers to know exactly what quality of product they're buying.
