Textile Archive/Pullover Joop (71% Wool, 29% Acrylic)

▼This page is part of the Fab Region Bergisch documentation initiative.

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This dark blue pullover was found in a used-clothing container and opened at the gesa measuring action (Textile Archive, 2026, canvas 9). It is a rib knit: vertical columns of loops make it very stretchy across – the same structure as cuffs and collars (Fashionary, 2021, pp. 144–145). Merino is an ultrafine wool – Merino sheep arrived in Australia in 1797, where the best Merino is still bred (Fashionary, 2021, p. 031).

Acrylic, invented in 1941 as an affordable wool look-alike, pills easily and is rarely recycled (Fashionary, 2021, p. 051). Blends improve comfort or price, but are harder to recycle (Fashionary, 2021, p. 055; Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). The label says 50% Merino, 50% Polyacrylic, the NIR scanner reads 71% Wool, 29% Acrylic – labels and reality don't always match, which is why infrared sorting is being developed for textile waste (Riba et al., 2020).

Made in Romania for Joop! – a reminder of how far our clothes travel. It was set aside because of a stain – but a little mending could give it a second life (R4 Repair; Potting et al., 2017). Care tip: Pre-treat stains with mild detergent (no bleach) and wash at max. 30°C; use a wool detergent.

Dry flat or on a line to avoid felting and shrinking (ISO 3758:2023; GINETEX).

Display label and NIR result side by side to start a conversation about label reliability. Could be mended live at a repair session as a before/after piece. Complete label language and 3D scan quality.

• Textile Archive (2026) Labels_Final – sample label sheets of the gesa measuring action, June 2026 [Canva design, 34 canvases]. Unpublished project data.
• Fashionary (2021) Textilepedia: The Complete Fabric Guide. Hong Kong: Fashionary International Ltd. ISBN 978-988-77110-9-4.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017) A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion's Future. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy
• Riba, J.-R., Cantero, R., Canals, T. & Puig, R. (2020) Circular economy of post-consumer textile waste: classification through infrared spectroscopy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 272, 123011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123011
• Potting, J., Hekkert, M., Worrell, E. & Hanemaaijer, A. (2017) Circular Economy: Measuring Innovation in the Product Chain. The Hague: PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. https://www.pbl.nl/en/publications/circular-economy-measuring-innovation-in-product-chains
• ISO (2023) ISO 3758:2023 Textiles – Care labelling code using symbols; GINETEX care labelling system. https://www.ginetex.net/en/labelling/