QUALITY & MATERIALS
As a lingerie brand, HANRO is characterized by its extraordinarily fine quality; thanks to the highest quality raw materials and innovative manufacturing processes. Find out more about our process expertise and the different natural materials used.
WHY HANRO
Those who wear HANRO for the first time are surprised how soft the cotton, how light and airy the wool or how delicate the silk blends are. For us, true luxury means feeling completely comfortable in your skin. This claim requires fabrics of the very best quality and origin and begins with the selection of the raw materials.
Around 80 % of the fabrics we use are made from natural fibres and fibres of natural origin. As an expert in natural fibres, HANRO uses the highest-quality natural materials such as cotton, merino wool, cashmere and silk. Various certifications, strict quality controls, innovative refinement processes and production in Europe are the secrets of our long-lasting, durable, sustainable quality products. Our products are often passed down from generation to generation. This saves resources and the environment.
In order to meet our high standards of premium, long-lasting quality, we spare no expense and rely on our in-house fabric production and fabric finishing ARULA at our company headquarters in Vorarlberg.
CERTIFICATION
Our products are STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified. It is the most important certificate for textiles that are fitted to the skin. All components of a product meet the strict OEKO-TEX® test criteria: fabrics, sewing threads, inserts and prints as well as non-textile accessories such as buttons or zips. We select our suppliers according to balanced economic, ecological and social criteria; OEKO-TEX® certification is a prerequisite.
Some of our products are MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® certified. This means that these products have been produced in an environmentally friendly factory and in safe and socially responsible workplaces. In addition, the MADE IN GREEN label gives consumers the assurance that the textile product is made from materials that have been tested for harmful substances.
Our dyeing and knitting factory in Vorarlberg, Austria is STeP by OEKO-TEX® certified and thus stands for socially acceptable and safe working conditions as well as environmentally friendly production.
Our dyeing and knitting factory in Vorarlberg, Austria is STeP by OEKO-TEX® certified and thus stands for socially acceptable and safe working conditions as well as environmentally friendly production.
Mercerising is a very complex process, which is why it is only used for particularly high-quality grades. The 28-metre precision machine is also proudly known at HANRO as the "1 million dollar machine". The special finishing process of soft mercerisation gives the cotton a special, silk-like sheen, exceptional colour brilliance and greater resistance, durability and consequently longevity. Mercerisation makes our products long-lasting - making them sustainable.
The result: distinctive, high-quality and sustainable underwear creations — quality you can feel on your skin. Designed to last.
Our commitment to quality and excellence includes our production facilities. For this we spare no expense and rely on our in-house fabric production and fabric finishing. This is where our unmistakable fabric creations are created thanks to the most modern production processes. Seam and hem-free processing, soft mercerisation and the finest stitch divisions are just a few of our innovations that we are constantly developing.
Through particularly narrow needle spacing, we produce unrivalled fine fabrics. Each lace is sewn on by hand. Every single hem is subsequently checked. This is how we ensure that we offer our customers impeccable quality.
One of the best-known examples of the incomparable HANRO quality is the seamless and hemless 'Cotton Seamless' spaghetti top. The fabric is made of 100 % long staple cotton. It is knitted in the company's own production on particularly fine circular knitting machines. This gives the fabric a very soft handle. The mercerisation gives the top its incomparable, timeless sheen and increased durability. The adjustable satin straps reflect HANRO's love of detail.
COTTON EXPERTISE
Cotton is one of our core competencies and has always been an essential part of every collection. That is why we have an incomparable knowledge of materials, processing and finishing that has grown over decades.
"The topic of longevity is close to our hearts and is our central quality standard. This already starts with the selection of the highest quality cotton fibres. Because long-lasting products are sustainable products."
CHRISTIANE BRAUN
HEAD OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT & DESIGN
The quality of cotton is measured by the length and fineness of the cotton fibres. The longer and finer the fibre, the higher the quality and finer the fabric.
As an expert in natural fibres, HANRO only processes high-quality cotton fibres in the long staple and extra long staple categories. These include Giza cotton, Pima and Supima cotton as well as the highest quality cotton in the world, Sea Island cotton.
The high quality cotton used by HANRO is particularly strong, easy to care for and has a silky texture as well as a soft handle. In addition, HANRO uses elaborate and unique finishing processes to create an even shinier, more robust and durable end product.
GIZA COTTON
particularly delicate and fine
Egyptian cotton is considered one of the finest, most sought-after and most expensive cottons in the world. Giza cotton describes an extra-long staple fibre grown in the Nile Valley in Egypt. Fabrics spun from Egyptian cotton are particularly soft, durable, at the same time very fine and become increasingly delicate with age.
Because of its high absorbency, this cotton is often used for towels and bed linen. The production volume of Giza cotton is very low due to the requirements. and the limited acreage available for cultivation and accounts for only a small percentage of the world's cotton production.
PIMA COTTON
particularly durable
Fabrics made of Pima cotton are particularly durable and long-lasting. Due to the long and fine fibres, fabrics made of Pima cotton have a matt sheen and are extremely soft and flowing. Pima cotton feels smooth and pleasantly cool and retains body heat.
The bright white fibres accept dyeing better and colours stay beautiful and bright for longer. This cotton plant is very sensitive and has special requirements for soil conditions. That is why Pima cotton is only grown in a few countries such as Peru, Egypt and in some other countries.
SEA ISLAND COTTON
soft as cashmere
The rare and luxurious Sea Island cotton is one of the most precious cottons in the world. Share of the total cotton production is only 0.0004 %. It grows exclusively the West Indies in the Caribbean and irrigation is mainly natural due to heavy rainfall. Due to the climatic conditions prevailing there, particularly long cotton fibres grow, which can be spun into very fine and tear-resistant threads. That is why fabrics made of Sea Island cotton feels so soft and silky, similar to cashmere.
To protect this regional product, the WISICA (West Indian Sea Island Cotton Association) inspects the cultivation of Sea Island cotton and issues corresponding certificates that guarantee the authenticity and origin of the cotton.
SUPREME GREEN COTTON®
40 % less water consumption, 100 % transparent
This certified cotton is grown in Greece on family-run cotton farms. Supreme Green Cotton® is GMO-free and requires 40 % less water thanks to modern drip irrigation. The cotton is processed locally, the short distances reduce the CO2 footprint.
The entire process - from the cultivation of the raw materials to the spinning of the yarn to the end product - is Made in Europe, it meets the strictest sustainability criteria and is 100 % transparently traceable.
WOMEN'S PRODUCTS MADE OF SUPREME GREEN COTTON®.
MEN'S PRODUCTS MADE OF SUPREME GREEN COTTON®.
ORGANIC COTTON
GMO-free, without pesticides and fertilisers
From the cultivation to the sale of the Organic cotton highest standards. Organically grown cotton is free of genetic engineering. Furthermore, no fertilisers or pesticides are used.
RECYCLED COTTON
thinking about the future and setting goals
Recycled cotton fibres are obtained through upcycling from old clothes or industrial rejects. The sustainable yarn produced from these fibres reduces the spinning and dyeing processes and thus guarantees saving water and energy. It is produced in an ethical, ecologically responsible production system.
WOOL & SILK
Tradition and innovation: HANRO has always attached particular importance to the highest quality in the selection of raw materials, as well as the processing and finishing of the high-quality fabrics. Whether finest silk or ultra-soft merino and cashmere wool - the new warmwear collections are visible and tangible proof of the knowledge and the exceptional craftsmanship for which the name HANRO stands.
MERINO WOOL
for a perfect skin climate
has a functionality that we know from hardly any other textile. It insulates well (warms in cold, cools in heat), does not scratch the skin, is odourless, absorbs a lot of moisture without feeling wet, is lightweight, anti-static, low-pilling and retains its fit or hardly creases at all. Merino wool is made from the finely crimped undercoat of the merino sheep.
Our superfine merino wool with a yarn count of 16-18,5 microns is currently the best 100 % merino quality on the market. It is mercerised and refined with Superwash. This gives it a special shine and prevents pilling and scratching. It comes from farms that do not use the controversial mulesing shearing method.
CASHMERE WOOL
especially warming and light
is incredibly fine, soft, supple, very light and nestles comfortably against the skin. The fibre has very good thermal insulation (stores heat better than wool) and is moisture repellent. Cashmere also does not crease, quickly returns to its original shape and is odour repellent. The luxurious wool is obtained from the cashmere goat. For this the cashmere goats are not shorn, but combed once a year. Only the particularly soft, cuddly undercoat is used.
SILK
for a particularly soft feel
Silk refines the wool visually and enhances the wearing properties of the wool.
Our optimal wool-silk blend is ideally suited for sensitive skin, as it is not scratchy.
Merino wool and silk can absorb up to a third of their dry weight, without feeling clammy. These garments are also warm even when damp, because they actively generate heat, when absorbing moisture.
IDEAL FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Warmwear made from merino wool and silk is the ideal functional underwear for all outdoor activities in winter.
Our wool products are softer and more supple due to special finishing and are guaranteed not to scratch. We often use wool as a mix of materials. Especially the combination of odorless wool and silk is an optimal combination, as both fibres have the same properties.
The silk refines the wool visually and enhances the wearing properties. The combination is particularly suitable for customers who are sensitive to wool, as it does not scratch.