Our Woolmark Certification
At Jack Murphy, we believe that exceptional clothing begins with exceptional materials. Our tweed collection, woven in partnership with Abraham Moon of Yorkshire, carries the Woolmark certification — the world's most recognised quality assurance mark for wool, backed by over 60 years of experience and trusted on more than 6 billion products worldwide.
When you see the Woolmark symbol on a Jack Murphy piece, it is not a marketing claim. It is the result of rigorous, independent laboratory testing that verifies the purity, performance, and durability of the wool used in your garment. No exceptions.
A Symbol With 60 Years of History
By the early 1960s, synthetic fibres like nylon, polyester, and acrylic were flooding the fashion market. In response, the Woolmark logo was created as a symbol of quality wool. Honouring this formation the International Wool Secretariat launched a design competition in 1963 to create a universal identity for quality wool. The winning design, a stylised skein of wool, was the work of Milanese designer Francesco Saroglia. The Woolmark logo launched in 1964 and has remained virtually unchanged ever since.
That consistency is not coincidence. It reflects the enduring relevance of what the mark stands for. Today, the Woolmark logo is a commitment to the highest standards for more than 6 billion products bearing this mark. As the world's best-known textile fibre accreditation, it builds consumer confidence in knowing that what they are buying is a genuine, long-lasting, quality wool product.
For Jack Murphy, carrying the Woolmark certification is a natural extension of the same values that have guided our brand since 1973: a commitment to quality materials, honest craftsmanship, and garments made to last.
The Five Tests Every Certified Product Must Pass
Through independent authorised laboratories, Woolmark rigorously tests every product to ensure it meets their exacting specifications. Before a Jack Murphy garment can carry the Woolmark symbol, it must pass all five of the following tests
Wool Content
The fibre content is assessed to verify that the ingredients of the product are exactly what they claim to be. You are buying what the label says — nothing more, nothing less.
Colourfastness to Light
The product is exposed to the harshest light conditions, for up to 10 hours, to assure its colours are lasting. The rich tones of Jack Murphy tweed fabric will not fade prematurely, even with regular outdoor use.
Durability
The wool product is subjected to extreme pressures; pushed, pulled and stretched to its physical limits, to measure its durability, pilling resistance and construction strength.
Care Label Performance
The garment is tested to verify that it performs correctly under the care instructions stated on its label — whether that is dry cleaning or machine washing. For Jack Murphy garments, which carry a dry clean only instruction, this test confirms the garment performs to that standard.
Colourfastness to Liquid
The wool is tested, intensely, against the very liquids it would normally encounter over its lifetime. For an outdoor garment worn in the Irish rain, this matters.
Jack Murphy does not certify its own wool – a third-party does. The Woolmark Certification programme provides independent quality assurance and authentication through authorised laboratories.
In a market saturated with self-declared claims and unverifiable quality pledges, independent certification matters. The Woolmark symbol is one of the few marks in the textile industry that demands evidence, not promises.
Why Merino Wool Earns This Certification
The wool used in Jack Murphy garments is not generic — it comes from the Merino Sheep, and its properties are what make Woolmark certification meaningful.
Merino wool is 100% natural, 100% renewable and biodegradable. It does not contribute to microplastic pollution in our oceans or on our land. It is the most recycled apparel fibre in the world.
The wool fibre’s natural performance comes from its structure, meaning it can absorb up to 35% of its own weight in moisture vapour to regulate temperature and the ability of Merino wool fibres to return to their original state when bent or stretched, ensuring garments retain their shape through years of wear.
These are not marketing attributes. They are the technical properties that Woolmark’s five-test certification is designed to verify and protect. A garment that bears the mark has been proven to perform to these standards — not just claimed to.
A Responsible Choice: Sustainability at the Source
At Jack Murphy Ireland, sustainability is not a trend. It is a principle embedded in the materials we choose and the partners we work with.
100% wool comes from nature and can return to nature through biodegradation depending on soil conditions, to form a natural part of the carbon cycle. By storing the carbon from the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, wool prevents it from contributing to climate change for the entire life of the garment.
Wool is one of the most environmentally responsible fibre choices available — and the evidence supports that claim. From the grass grazed by the sheep, through the years of wear, until the garment eventually biodegrades. When disposed of, wool can act like a fertiliser, slowly releasing valuable nutrients back into the soil.
Biodegradable
By comparison, the carbon in major synthetic apparel fibres is extracted from fossil fuels — de-sequestering carbon that was safely stored underground for millions of years. Synthetic fibres can take decades to degrade in landfill and shed microplastics throughout their use. 100% wool fabrics can biodegrade by 95% after just 15 weeks of burial in soil.
Woolmark Certified
Choosing Woolmark-certified Jack Murphy is not just a style decision. It is a material choice with measurable consequences for the planet.
Clodagh Tweed Coat - Sage & Emerald CheckGarments Built to Last — The Sustainability Case for Longevity
One of most powerful sustainability claim a garment brand can make is not about how a product is made. It is about how long it lasts in use.
According to Woolmark’s Global Wardrobe Study, the average lifetime of wool garments is more than 50% longer than cotton equivalents, naturally resisting odour, stains and wrinkles. Wool products are frequently given multiple lives through resale or change of ownership. Wearing wool clothes to their maximum potential and practising optimal garment care can reduce their environmental impact by 75% compared to current practices.
A Jack Murphy tweed jacket or wool coat is not a seasonal purchase. It is designed to be worn for decades, repaired if needed, and eventually returned to the soil without leaving a trace of plastic behind. Woolmark certification backs that promise with laboratory evidence.
Shop Woolmark-Certified Jack Murphy
Every wool garment in our collection is independently certified by Woolmark — tested for fibre purity, durability, colourfastness and care label performance before it reaches you. Explore the range.
Frequently Asked Questions
It means the wool content and quality of your garment has been independently verified by The Woolmark Company through authorised laboratory testing — not self-certified by us. Every certified product is tested for fibre composition, colourfastness to light, durability, care label performance and colourfastness to liquid before it earns the mark.
Every Woolmark-certified product must pass tests for wool content, colourfastness to light, durability under stress, care label performance and colourfastness to liquid. The care label performance test verifies the garment performs correctly under whatever care instruction appears on the label — for Jack Murphy garments, that means dry cleaning. All testing is carried out at independent authorised laboratories.
Wool is 100% natural, renewable and biodegradable. It does not shed microplastics, stores atmospheric carbon for the life of the garment, and returns nutrients to the soil when it biodegrades. Wool garments last on average more than 50% longer than cotton equivalents and are washed less frequently, meaning their environmental impact over a lifetime is significantly lower than synthetic alternatives.
According to Woolmark research, wool garments last on average more than 50% longer than cotton equivalents. With proper care, a Jack Murphy tweed coat can be worn for decades. The Woolmark certification tests for durability and care label performance specifically to ensure the garment will hold its quality through years of use.
Jack Murphy wool garments are dry clean only — and the Woolmark certification verifies performance to that standard. Wool is naturally resistant to odour, stains and wrinkles, so your garment will need professional cleaning far less frequently than you might expect. For full guidance on caring for and maintaining your Jack Murphy garment, see our Care & Repair Guide.
From the land. for the land