Once sought after for its utilitarian function and comfortable feel, wool began to fall off the fashion radar in the late 1960s. As cheap, easy-care polyesters and nylons became the most popular clothing fabrics, wool quickly became as daggy as the rear ends of the sheep on which it grew. Mills closed, tailors sold up and wool sales declined.

Australia's current wool-producing flock is less than a half of what it was in 1990, but there has been a recent reversal of fortune as major apparel houses such as Zegna, Chanel, Adidas and Burberry recommit to a fabric superior to polyester in its breathability, durability sweat-wicking and even odour-absorbing qualities.