Icebreaker Develops Cutting-Edge Range of Performance Clothing

December 11, 2007

Leading merino clothing specialist Icebreaker is launching a range of high-tech performance clothing for people who take their outdoor sports seriously.

Icebreaker's new GT range - the most technical range the company has ever produced - emphasises comfort and performance for hikers, mountain bikers, climbers, skiers and snowboarders.

Merino wool is the ideal fabric for high-output sports because it is incredibly lightweight, breathable, wicks away sweat, prevents friction and repels odour. The fabric releases water very quickly, a plus for travellers who need their clothing to dry as soon as possible after washing.

Icebreaker designer Jason Phillips says the new GT range is an unbeatable combination of premium-quality merino wool - produced in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the world's finest merino-growing country - and the latest cutting-edge developments in performance clothing.

"As soon as we were able to make these beautiful lightweight jerseys, we thought about the people who really needed them," he says.

"People who wear Icebreaker want to get out in the world and have fun, and they don't want to be wearing synthetics all over their bodies."

Every element of the GT range is functional, and designed to lift the wearer's performance. Even the zippers are reflective.

The garments have 360 degree reflectivity: reflective graphics enable them to be seen from every angle. "If you're trail running at dusk, there's a high visibility graphic on all sides of the garment to ensure any passing vehicles will see you," says Jason.

Eyelet gussets - more breathable than the usual jersey fabric - are used in high-sweat zones to give the highest possible resistance to moisture. Seams on high-friction areas have been removed to reduce friction and chafing.

Pockets on most garments are stitched and folded back, but on the GT range they've been heat-glued to prevent friction. As a result, they're much flatter and less bulky than usual.

The merino fabric has been blended with 2% Lycra for shape enhancement, but it's still pure super-soft merino wool against your skin. The innovation is vital to prevent the garment sagging, and to keep the fabric in excellent condition over its lifetime.

Like all Icebreaker garments, the GT range complies with the company's absolute insistence on sustainability and a high standard of animal welfare, as well as practices that are socially ethical, have a low impact on the environment and use the latest clean technology.

The GT range includes 15 tops and one pair of pants in the men's range, and 13 tops and two pairs of pants in the women's range. Garments come in four different weights, and feature Icebreaker's trademark dynamic and quirky approach to colour and design details.

While the range has been designed for cross-training, it is likely to be expanded to include garments for specific sports, such as a polo top for tennis and a cycling top. "This is a really exciting range of performance clothing, and we're looking forward to developing it even further," says Jason.

About Icebreaker

Launched in 1994, Icebreaker was the first company in the world to develop a merino wool layering system for the outdoors. It was also the first outdoor apparel company in the world to source merino direct from growers, a system it began in 1997. There are now 10 distinct pure merino fabrics in the Icebreaker system, covering underwear, mid layer, and outerwear.

Icebreaker is sold in nearly 2000 stores in 24 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America. Based in Wellington, New Zealand, Icebreaker uses only pure merino hand-picked from 120 high country stations in the country's Southern Alps to create edgy outdoor clothing that combines nature's work with human technology and design.