Majestic yak, Langtang National Park, Nepal. Photo by the talented Dave W Smith

YAK FACTS

Yaks are large, long-haired, long-horned bovid mammals which live high up in mountainous regions of Central Asia. Wild yaks have a long history dating back to the Pleistocene period (think wholly mammoths and giant sloths) with them being domesticated approx 5,000-10,000 years ago. The wild yak (Bos mutus) is now commonly seen as a separate species from the domestic yak (Bos grunniens).

Today the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) puts the global population of wild yaks at under 10,000. In other words, officially vulnerable to extinction levels, primarily due to poaching and habitat loss. Yep, that old chestnut. Excessive hunting of wild yak drove them from the plateau areas into mountainous areas at even higher altitudes, above 4 500 m and right to the tops of the mountains at 6 000 m. By the 1970s, wild yak were thought to be on the verge of extinction.

SURVIVAL THROUGH SERVICE

Like it or not, humans have changed and shaped the lives of animals throughout centuries, all over the planet. We have driven some to extinction while unnaturally increasing the population numbers of others.

Yak, fortunately and unfortunately, fall into both categories. While centuries of existence of the mountain dwelling wild yak has come perilously close to the extinction of the species, domesticated yaks, on the other hand, are prevalent across much of the world. An estimated 14 million to 15 million live in the highlands of Asia alone where it has long played a key role in the region's ecology and human culture. Though domesticated, yak still roam semi-wild with nomadic herders throughout the high passes of the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, and the interior of Mongolia.

Yak wool down

A sustainable alternative for eco conscious and ethical fashion products to keep you warm?
While it’s not generally socially acceptable to wander about without clothing, it can be a minefield to work out what clothing is best when it comes to the planet, animal welfare and your wallet.
Sustainable fashion is a combination of many different components including ethical business practices, supply chain transparency, give-back programs, minimal impact policies, and most important of all, the sustainable materials that make up our ethical wardrobe.
So perhaps one of the first questions you should ask yourself is (apart from *#whomademyclothes*) is: *what are my clothes made of?* Synthetic fabrics, toxic chemical dyes and pesticide intensive cotton farming and even recycled plastic all have had damaging environmental impacts.

ARE YAKS SUSTAINABLE FOR THE ECOSYSTEM?

Yak have evolved physically to cope with the environment and high altitudes in which they live, playing a key ecological role within these regions. Of course like all other animals they recycle nutrients and fertilise the land.

What differs is that Yak live nomadically, their footsteps are as soft as their wool, and with their short tongues, graze by only removing the top of plants instead of their whole root.

COMPARED TO YAK, WHY IS CASHMERE SO BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

Cashmere is one of the rarest and most luxurious fibres in the world, with product prices initially reflecting such rarity. Over the years it has become more available and has fast become a favourite fabric for making super soft and cozy clothing. However, greater availability and a lower price has a cost making cashmere a fabric that is associated with a lot of environmental and ethical downsides. Namely, the working conditions of goat herders and the ecological implications from the goat farming itself.

The increase in demand for cashmere came with the pressure to lower cost, and so a decrease in the price of the raw material. Goats have a relatively low wool yield, with it taking up to six goats to produce enough hair to make one jacket. Hence for herders to collect competitive volumes, they need to have many more goats, usually grazing within a small area. As cashmere goats have sharp hooves this causes them to trample grasslands and long tongues, which means that they rip plants from their roots.

TYPES OF YAK WOOL

Yaks survive at altitudes and over centuries have developed a warm coat that helps them survive such challenging conditions - fibre developed by nature, to survive its extremes. Yaks shed profusely year round, and thus harvesting the fur doesn’t actually directly involve the animal in any way, and it makes use of something that would otherwise just biodegrade in nature.

Yaks specifically yield three types of fibre:

Guard hair

Traditionally used by nomads to make ropes and tents, it exceeds 50 microns, and would make strong but uncomfortable yarn and fabrics. This is the guard hair most visible on the animal, and perhaps what leads people to believe yak wool is very coarse.

Mid-layer

Usually between 25 - 50 microns, with the potential to be spun into yarn, but would again be strong yet uncomfortable to wear. However their strength can make them suitable for other applications such as woven outerwear fabrics.

Down

The softest of all fibres, finer than 20 microns in diameter, we focus on using those between 17.5-19 microns to ensure garments are extremely soft and warm. While we could use finer, we believe this bracket gives us the right balance between softness and durability. The yield of this fibre is relatively low, meaning it quite rare.

IS YAK WOOL SOFTER THAN CASHMERE?

One of the most important factors that affects the way wool feels is the fibre fineness. Wools that are generally considered "soft" have a fineness <20µm. Fibres considered for use in cashmere clothing fall somewhere in the range of 14-19µm... so it depends, but generally, yak wool is as soft as cashmere.

IS YAK WOOL WARMER THAN CASHMERE?

As the highest-dwelling mammals in the world, yaks live through a considerable range of temperatures. Their ability to both survive in -40° F winters and thrive in 90° F summers is highly dependent on the evolutionary abilities of their wooly coats. The more intense the environment the more versatile and high performing the fibres will be, making yak wool one of the highest performing wools available.

Exposed to such temperature extremes yaks also also developed crimps in the fibres of their wooly coats. These crimps are natural "waves" in yak wool that trap air with the fibres expanding and contracting according to their environment. These dynamic air pockets insulate yak in extreme colds and wick vapour, cooling in extreme heat. The thermoregulating properties of their fiber is important because yak have few sweat glands.

Yak wool fibres are 30% warmer than wool, nearly 2x more breathable than cashmere and have a fine, smooth texture. An individual yak fibre is 18-20 microns with a length of 30-40mm, and cashmere is between 14-30 microns and 20.5-90mm long (source: https://thesustainableangle.org).

Being a natural fibre yak wool is also odour resistant and antimicrobial, due to the materials moisture wicking properties. Wool has a number of unique moisture management properties that allow it to resist bacterial build up - the leading cause of odour.

Product Detail - Yak Wool