SPECIFICATION AM-3: 2016

MERINO PERFORM GARMENTSPRODUCTSMerino Perform, Merino Perform Pro and Merino Perform Advantage may be used on thefollowing product types meeting the criteria detailed in this specification:•outerwear•underwear and base layer products•mid layer products•socks•accessories, such as caps and gloves.

The product descriptor MerinoPerform™ Pro may only be applied to:•underwear or next-to-skin products manufactured from pure wool fabrics that have ahydrophilic face and hydrophobic back.

The product descriptor MerinoPerform™ Advantage may only be applied to:•••underwear or next-to-skin products manufactured from blend fabrics that have ahydrophilic face and hydrophobic back.
Outerwear and mid-layer garments are defined as garments designed to be normally wornover other garments so that they have minimal contact with the skin.
Next-to-skin products and underwear are defined as products designed to be normallyworn under other garments so that they have direct contact with the skin.

WOOLMARK SPECIFICATION
AM-3 MERINO PERFORM GARMENTS

Page 1 of 6

All ProductsAll products must meet the requirements listed in specification AK-1 (knitted garments) or AW-1(woven garments), except where specifically noted in this Specification.
Property

Test
MethodWool content (%: minimum)
Woolmark
Woolmark Blend
Wool Blend

155

Mean wool fibre diameter(µm:absolute maximum)

22 or
23 or
24

Comfort factor(%: minimum)

Outerwear,
mid-layer

Underwear,
next-to-skin

Accessories

Pure New Wool
50%
30%
22.5

Fabric construction

19.75

22.5
19.5 for next to skinproducts

99%99% for next to skinproducts

See Notes

Garment construction,(where applicable)

206

Colourfastness to Rubbing(grade: minimum)
Dry
Wet

165

Hydrophilic/hydrophobic
surfaces

AATCC195

For garments with a MerinoPerform™ outerlayer, the use of non-MerinoPerform materialmust not exceed 5% by weight of the outerlayer of the garment. Lining materials are notincluded.

3-4
2-3

3-4
2-3
Droplet of water
spreads to the outsideof fabric.

3-4
2-3

This table shall be read in combination with the notes below
NOTES
1. Woolmark TM155: Wool content
The tolerance for wool content is 0.3% for Woolmark and 3% for Woolmark Blend and Wool
Blend. The fabric or garment must also have a wool content within 3% of the nominal blend
content. Any synthetic fibre may be used.
Membrane finishes (such as used for Gore-Tex®) to impart functionality to MerinoPerform™
fabrics may be excluded from the determination of the wool content.
2. Woolmark TM22, TM23 or TM24: Mean wool fibre diameter and comfort factor
This measurement is conducted on yarn or fibre (as appropriate) removed from fully finishedproduct. The fibre diameter requirement (which includes sampling and testing tolerances) isapplicable at the end product stage. It is known that the mean fibre diameter can increaseduring textile processing owing to preferential loss of finer fibres. It is not known how muchchange will occur for any particular set of circumstances but in order to meet the end productrequirement it is advised that wools with diameters closer to 19µm (for base layer andunderwear garments) and 22µm (for outerwear and accessories) are chosen at the raw
material stage.
If the fibre diameter is determined using TM22 or TM23, this may give an inaccurate result if
the yarn is highly twisted; in such cases, the result from Woolmark TWC-TM24 should beaccepted. In cases of dispute, the result from Woolmark TWC-TM24 must be accepted.
For accessories the limit of mean fibre diameter is 22.5um except where the product can bereasonably considered to be for next-to-skin use. In this case a limit of 19.75um must be used.
This requirement does not apply to socks.
3. Fabric construction
For Woolmark Blend and Wool Blend products, wool fibre may only be intimately blended with
one synthetic fibre in a singles yarn. Singles yarns of different blend content may be twisted
together to make a multi-ply yarn.

WOOLMARK SPECIFICATION
AM-3 MERINO PERFORM GARMENTS

Page 2 of 6

3.1. MerinoPerform™ Pro
The fabric shall be constructed and finished so that the face of the fabric, which forms theouter surface of the garment, possesses hydrophilic properties. The back of the fabric,
which forms the inside of the garment, shall possess hydrophobic properties.
3.2. MerinoPerform™ Advantage
The fabric shall be composed of at least two separate yarns. The fabric shall beconstructed and finished so that the face of the fabric, which forms the outer face of thegarment, possesses hydrophilic properties. The back of the fabric, which forms the insideof the garment, should possess hydrophobic properties.
3.3. Laminated fabrics
Laminated fabrics (fabrics bonded using glue, etc.) shall be treated as two fabrics; theouter or shell fabric and the inner layer or lining fabric.
4. Garment construction
4.1. MerinoPerform™ Pro and MerinoPerform™ Advantage
The face side of the fabric must be on the outside of the garment.
4.2. Outerwear with a wool-containing shell fabric
Only the shell fabrics must to meet the requirements of this specification. Lining fabrics
and fusing materials may be non-wool.
4.3. Outerwear with a non-wool shell fabric
The wool-containing lining material must meet the requirements of this specification.
Where the lining materials used on MerinoPerform™ garments are pure wool, the label
must include the words ‘Pure new wool lining’. Where the lining materials used onMerinoPerform™ garments are wool blend, the label must include the words ‘Wool Blendlining’.
4.4. Laminated fabric
Where the inner component of a laminated fabric used to construct a garment is a purewool or wool blend fabric, the product may carry the Merino Perform label with the words‘Pure New Wool lining’ or ‘Wool-rich Blend lining’.
5. Woolmark TM165 Colourfastness to Rubbing
This test is conducted on product, the colour of which is darker than 1/12 depth. Undyed andbleached white product must not be evaluated for colourfastness.
Both the face and back of the fabric must be tested separately.
6. AATCC-195: Liquid moisture management properties of textile fabrics
This test is only required for MerinoPerform™ Pro and MerinoPerform™ Advantageproducts.
A droplet (0.25ml) of simulated sweat (AATCC195) placed on the inside of the fabric shallspread to the outside of the fabric. This method (2010) is available from the American
Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC).

WOOLMARK SPECIFICATION
AM-3 MERINO PERFORM GARMENTS

Page 3 of 6

Dry Clean only or Hand-washable products
Property
Dimensional change – relaxation (%)
KnittedLength
Width
Area
Woven
LengthWidth

TestmethodOuterwear,
mid-layer

Underwear,
next-to-skin–10 < DC
DC< +531–3 < DC–3 < DC

Accessories–10 < DC
DC< +5
Not applicable–3 < DC–3 < DC

No. and type of wash cycles
Dry clean
Hand wash

Not measured
1 × 7ANot measured
1 × 7A

Dimensional change – felting (%)
KnittedLength
Width
Area
Woven
LengthWidth
Cuff edge–8 < DC–3 < DC–3 < DC–1 < DC < 1–8 < DC–3 < DC
–3 < DC–1 < DC < 131

No. and type of wash cycles
Dry clean
Hand wash

Dimensional change – total (%)
KnittedLength
Width
Area
Woven
LengthWidth

Not applicable

3 cycles1 × 5A31–5 < DCDC < +53 cycles
1 × 5A

Not applicable–3 < DC–3 < DC

Afterwash appearance

31/298

Acceptable

Not applicable

Acceptable

Colourfastness to hand washing
Change of colour
Stain wool
Stain other fibre(Grade : minimum)

250.

3–4
4
3–4

Not applicable

3–4
4
3–4

Colourfastness to wet alkaline contact
Change of colour
Stain wool
Stain other fibre(Grade : minimum)
Multi-coloured products only

174

3–4
4
3–4

Not applicable

3–4
4
3–4

This table shall be read in combination with the notes following Care Claim Specifications

WOOLMARK SPECIFICATION
AM-3 MERINO PERFORM GARMENTS

Page 4 of 6

Machine washable products
Property
Dimensional change – relaxation (%)
KnittedLength
Width
Area
Woven
LengthWidth

TestmethodOuterwear,
mid-layer

3131

No. and type of wash cycles

Dimensional change – total (%)
KnittedLength
Width
Area
Woven
LengthWidth31

Afterwash appearance

31/298

Colourfastness to machine washing
Change of colour
Stain wool
Stain other fibre(Grade : minimum)

193
Part APart B.

Colourfastness to wet alkaline contact
Change of colour
Stain wool
Stain other fibre(Grade : minimum)
Multi-coloured products only174

Accessories–10 < DC
DC< +5–10 < DC
DC< +5–3 < DC
–3 < DC–3 < DC–3 < DC

1 × 7A

1 × 7A

No. and type of wash cycles

Dimensional change – felting (%)
KnittedLength
Width
Area
Woven
LengthWidth
Cuff edge

Underwear,
next-to-skin–8 < DC–3 < DC–3 < DC–1 < DC < 1–8 < DC
–3 < DC–3 < DC–1 < DC < 1–8 < DC
–3 < DC–3 < DC–1 < DC < 1

3 × 5A

5 × [5A+TD]

3 × 5A–5 < DCDC < +5–5 < DC
DC < +5–3 < DC–3 < DC–3 < DC–3 < DCAcceptable

3–4
4
3–4

3–4
4
3–4

3–4
4
3–4

3–4
4
3–4

3–4
4
3–4

3–4
4
3–4

This table shall be read in combination with the notes below
NOTES
1. Woolmark TWC-TM31: Dimensional stability
While not all measurements made in this test have limits is the specification, all should bereported according to the requirements of TM31. The ‘non-specified’ measurements areincluded to assist retailers in making garment assessments related to their own requirements
whilst also using the Woolmark specifications.
•••[7A+TD] - a 7A wash followed by a tumble dry[5A+TD] - a 5A wash followed by a tumble dry
Total = Relaxation shrinkage + Felting Shrinkage

A ‘shrinkage’ is denoted by a negative (–) value and an ‘extension’ by a positive (+) value.
1.1. Dimensional Change – Relaxation
This measurement is not required on dry clean only products.

WOOLMARK SPECIFICATION
AM-3 MERINO PERFORM GARMENTS

Page 5 of 6

1.2. Dimensional Change – Felting
As indicated in TM31, the ‘original measurements’ for felting shrinkage based on
dimensions after 1 × 7A wash cycle. In the case of dry clean only, the dimensional change
is based on original dimensions.
1.3. Tumble dry performance of outerwear, mid-layers and accessories
Where wash and tumble dry performance (Total Easy Care) is required for outerwear,
mid-layers or accessories, the relaxation cycle shall be 1 × 7A cycle followed by a tumbledry (ie 1 × [7A +TD]). The felting cycle shall consist of five 5A cycles each followed by atumble dry (ie 5 × [5A + TD]). The limits on dimensional change shall be unchanged.
1.4. Afterwash and tumble dry appearance.
Tumble drying can have an adverse effect on garment appearance. The claim on thisspecification requires that Woolmark TWC-31/TM298 be carried out; this test method
includes a subjective assessment of appearance after:
1 × [7A + TD] and 5 × [5A + TD] cycles for base layers and underwear
1 × [7A + TD] and 2 × [5A + TD] cycles for outerwear and mid-layers.
2. Woolmark TM250: Colourfastness to hand washing‘Stain other fibre’ is defined as the most severely stained fibre in the adjacent fabric.
Undyed and bleached white products must not be evaluated for colourfastness.
3. Woolmark TWC-TM193: Colourfastness to machine washing
The test method is divided into two parts:
Part A: standard detergent without perborate
Part B: standard detergent with perborate.
The method used must be both Part A and B.
If the product passes Part A but fails Part B, labels and tickets attached to garments should
carry a statement: ‘Wash using a Woolmark approved detergent’ (or similar). Full details ofthese additional requirements are available from The Woolmark Company.
3.1. Undyed and bleached white products must not be evaluated for colourfastness.
3.2. ‘Stain other fibre’ is defined as the most severely stained fibre in the adjacent fabric.

Products with a ‘Stretch’ related claim
Property

Test Method

Pass Level

Extension – length and width directions
20(%: minimum)179
Non-recoverable extension
3Wales and courses (%: maximum)

WOOLMARK SPECIFICATION
AM-3 MERINO PERFORM GARMENTS

Page 6 of 6