The Engel Sports sleeveless vest offers freedom of movement and maximum comfort directly on the skin. Whether you're doing yoga, running or wearing as a base layer when hiking, the top is wonderfully scratch-free on the skin thanks to the soft merino wool and silk. The material is pleasantly temperature-regulating and naturally antibacterial - so it doesn't smell unpleasant even after an intensive workout!

• 70% organic merino wool, 28% silk, 2% elastane
• slim fit
• designed for sport
• quick drying, odour neutralising, breathable, lightweight 150gsm

This is made in a performance blend of 70% organic Merino wool, 28% pure silk and 2% elastane.

This combines the thermo-regulating properties of Merino wool with the softness of pure silk on the skin plus elastane for permanent good fit.

High moisture wicking Merino wool keeps your skin dry while you sweat, absorbing moisture for you into its keratin core, and releasing it out into the air. Merino is wonderful for cool days and surprisingly is good for warm days too, as it works to keep your body temperature stable for you.

It also has a high natural UV protection and is naturally anti-bacterial and therefore stays fresher for longer even without washing.

This is organic Merino wool, certified by IVN as "best" which meets and exceeds GOTS organic standards. Engel themselves say:

Ecological husbandry is motivated by esteem and respect for animal and man. The Merino sheep that produce our wool are kept according to the requirements appropriate to the species, so that they can live in a healthy and stress-free way. The pastures therefore must suit the Merino sheep in both climatic and ecological conditions.

The use of pesticides both on the meadows and the animal is inadmissible. The animals procreate in a natural way and any kind of change on the animal such as trimming the tail or mulesing are forbidden. In short – the sheep should live a happy life!

The merino virgin wool used in ENGEL’s woollen and wool/silk underwear is from organic husbandry. The certified organic origin of the wool ensures that it has been produced without noxious substances like pesticides and herbicides. Therefore, these clothes are awarded the highest certificate, the quality hallmark NATURTEXTIL–IVN ZERTIFIZIERT BEST.

Merino wool is a kind of wool fibre that is very fine, soft and springy and is not itchy at all to most skins. The Merino sheep usually thrives in mountainous areas at high altitudes and its wool is naturally brilliant at keeping the body comfortable at a wide range of temperatures.

Please note that under EU labelling regulations, stating the type of wool is not allowed, only a statement of "100% wool" or "new wool" is allowed. However, the wool in this this garment is certified organic Merino wool.

Wool (and thus Merino wool) has many benefits when worn next to the skin and about the body.

• Wool absorbs moisture into the centre of the fibre, so that it still feels dry on the outside. This is very healthy for your skin - your skin stays dry while the wool can absorb up to 33% of its own weight while feeling dry.
• Wool "breathes", releasing its moisture out into the atmosphere. It does this dynamically in response to the environment, so when you are active and sweating more, wool works harder for you. Wonderful.
• In this way, wool is a wonderful temperature-regulator, slowing down the effects of changes of temperature and helping prevent sweatiness by absorbing moisture and releasing it in response to the environment. This makes it a wonderful fabric for babies and the growing bodies of children as well as for athletes, cyclists, skiers and mountain-climbers. It's naturally high-tec and can't be beaten by synthetics!
• Wool is also naturally anti-bacterial, dirt-resistant and very stretchy, making wonderful clothes that are easy to put on and take off, wet or dry, hot or cold.
• More health benefits of wool are being discovered all the time. For example, it's better for the health of premature babies if they are nursed on wool rather than cotton and it's better for the skin of hospital patients if they lie on wool rather than synthetics.
• Wool helps sleep too. At least two studies show that people get a better night's sleep with wool around them - they get to sleep more quickly, sleep longer and have better quality sleep too.

Find out more about the properties of wool here in our blog.

Merino wool is the wool of choice for baby and children's clothes, as well as for sportswear, because it's finer than most other wools. It's naturally springy (which makes it softer) and has a tight crimp, allowing it to trap more air, making clothing lighter as well as softer for the same excellent insulation.

Merino wool has also been proven to absorb UV across the whole range of the spectrum, giving excellent lightweight sun protection in the summer too.

Organic Merino wool combined with the gentle, skin-friendly properties of silk makes the ultimate fabric for the well-being of the skin and body.

Wool is naturally self-cleaning, the outer surfaces of the fibre pushing dirt down and off itself. It's naturally anti-bacterial and neutralises odours too. Silk also releases dirt easily, so after wearing, the best thing to do is to hang your silk/wool clothing to air rather than wash.

Engel's wool/silk fabric is a soft, natural fabric so care must be taken when washing. Engel recommends hand washing as follows.

Use a detergent designed for wool and silks which is gentle, and which protects and replenishes wool's natural oils. We recommend one of our liquid wool shampoos in our fabric care section here.

To hand-wash your wool silk fabric, dilute your wool detergent in cool water, max 30C (lukewarm only, should feel coolish), in a bowl. For heavily-soiled areas, use a little gall soap beforehand, testing on an inconspicuous area first.

Add your wool/silk clothing to the bowl, gently stirring and squeezing the detergent through. Rinse using water at the same temperature, otherwise the wool will be subjected to "shock" and might felt up. So lukewarm/coolish at 30C again.

Things not to do! Don't wring, soak, brush or rub vigorously as the wool and silk fibres may be damaged and your garment felt up a little and shrink. Just squeeze the water through.

To dry, gently squeeze water out and wrap your wool clothes in a towel to remove the excess water. Air-dry naturally avoiding direct heat. So, hanging on a drying rack over the bath is good, or on a clothes horse. Mine often end up over the back of chairs or on the washing line in the shade (I haven't had a problem with the the heat of the English being too hot, yet, but direct sunlight is not good for wool or silk).

Re-shape while still damp.

We have the widest range of Engel clothing on the web, made from organic Merino wool, silk/wool blend and organic cotton clothing.
With clothing for the little ones including premature babies, active wear for children and great base-layers for adults - it's all there to keep everyone healthy and comfortable! And their outerwear is wonderfully soft and breathable too!

Engel was established in the 1960s. From 1982 onwards the company started to concentrate on natural textiles in an exemplary and consistent way. Engel garments are Certified Organic by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The wool comes from Merino sheep in their natural environment, which are organically farmed and therefore live a healthy and stress-free life. The usage of pesticides is forbidden both on pastures and on animals.

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