Does Pilling Mean Poor Quality?

About wool, pilling and how to care for your favourite knitwear

When a knit is new, it can be surprising to notice the first small pills appearing on its surface.

Especially when you have chosen a beautiful wool knit and expected it to remain exactly as it was on the first day.

But does pilling mean poor quality?

Not necessarily.

Wool is a natural fibre, and natural fibres move. With wear and friction, some fibres can work their way to the surface of the knit and become tangled into small pills. This can happen to high-quality wool too.

Why does pilling appear in certain places?

Pilling most often appears where a knit experiences the most friction throughout the day.

Under the arms. Around the elbows. At the sides. Where a handbag rests against a sweater or a coat moves against it.

This is also why the same knit can behave differently from one person to another. Pilling is influenced by how often we wear a piece, how we wear it and what it comes into contact with.

That does not mean quality is irrelevant.

The length and characteristics of the fibres, the construction of the yarn and the structure of the knit can all influence how easily pilling occurs. Very heavy or persistent pilling can therefore also be related to the material or construction of a garment.

But a few small pills alone do not mean that a knit is poor quality.

How to care for wool knitwear?

A good knit does not need much. Just a little attention.

Give it time to rest between wears. Wool fibres have natural elasticity, and allowing a wool garment to rest can help it recover its shape.

Wash only when it really needs it and always follow the care instructions for the individual piece. When washing, turning a knit inside out and using a gentle wool-appropriate cycle can help protect its surface.

After washing, wool knitwear is generally best dried flat, away from direct heat and sunlight, unless the care label says otherwise. This helps it keep its shape.

And if small pills do appear, they can be gently removed with a knitwear comb or fabric shaver. The important thing is to be gentle rather than pulling at the fibres.

A knit to return to

Some knits stay in our wardrobe for a season.

Others are the ones we reach for again and again.

And those are worth taking a little care of.

So that a favourite knit can remain a favourite for a long time.

Toujours le Soleil