Be Wary of Merino Products Marketed as “Australian”
Merino wool has become synonymous with quality, comfort, and sustainability and rightly so. Australia is home to some of the finest Merino sheep in the world and with that comes a reputation for premium quality wool garments. However, not all Merino clothing marketed online as “Australian” truly lives up to that label.
In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of online businesses promoting their Merino garments as “Australian,” when in reality, only a minor part of the process, often just the sourcing of raw wool has any connection to Australia. The majority of the manufacturing is done offshore in countries like China, Sri Lanka, and others where oversight is limited, and transparency is often lacking.
Across numerous brands, you’ll find sleek websites touting Australian wool, eco-responsible missions and carbon-neutral pledges, yet providing no insight into where the garments are actually knitted, sewn, or finished. Their “About Us” and blog sections highlight great-sounding goals:
Supporting Australian growers.
Developing own merino fabrics – but with no hint of who knits them or where.
Carbon-neutral operations and tree-planting pledges.
Testimonials from adventurous customers, claiming performance in extreme climates.
What’s missing? Any transparency about production: no detail on factory oversight, Australian compliance, formal accreditation or supply chain traceability. A private-label importer can claim “Australian Merino” but rely entirely on overseas mills where they rarely see inside the production floor, let alone audit for quality or safety.
It’s surprisingly easy to source overseas Merino garments. Importers can order large batches of products from factories abroad, apply their own private label, and market the garments as “Australian”. These factories often make broad claims that the garments are 100% Merino, that the fabric is free from harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, and that the production is ethical and high-quality. Unfortunately, without local oversight, these claims can rarely be verified. The result? A garment with an Australian image, but none of the integrity, traceability or ethical standards that true Australian made products uphold.
At Ktena Knitting Mills, we do things differently.
We are a proudly Australian family business with over 40 years of history. All our Merino garments are 100% Made in Australia, right here in our factory in Victoria. From knitting the fabric to cutting, sewing, finishing, and packaging, we manage every step of the process in-house. This gives us full control over the quality, safety, and sustainability of our garments.
Behind the Label – Why Ktena Is Different
We believe there’s a huge difference between looking Australian and being truly Australian-made.
Fully Australian – from sheep to shirt, every stage of production happens under one roof in Melbourne, Victoria:
- We knit our own fabric on our own knitting machines.
- Design, cutting, sewing, finishing and packaging all happens on-site.
- Our team has full visibility and accountability over materials and work practices, our fabric dyers only use Australian Standard Okeo-Tex 100 practices and quality control procedures.
That means we control every stitch, every process and stand fully behind our products.
Recognised, certified, accountable
Our commitment is more than words – it’s independently verified:
- Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) accredited: annual audits ensure legal award wages, safe working conditions, adequately insured and ethical supply-chain transparency in every part of our supply chain.
- Australian Made & Owned certified: legally certified to verify the product is genuinely made in Australia.
- Woolmark certified & licensed: every garment meets the highest global standards for wool purity, performance, and quality.
These certifications aren’t marketing fluff – they mean we are held to the very highest standards.
Why It Matters
- Workplace transparency: offshore production may involve unknown working conditions with unknown working standards including child labour and modern slavery practices. We offer full traceability and independent auditability.
- Quality assurance: overseas factories may cut corners – labels like “100% Merino” or “formaldehyde free” are often unverified, who knows what they put in the fabric and how the fabric is washed and treated and with what chemicals. Every batch is tested to meet stringent Australian and Woolmark standards.
- Support local industry: investing in true Australian manufacturers sustains local jobs, skills and woolgrowers livelihoods.
So next time you see the claim of “Australian Merino”, take a moment to look deeper.
Make Informed Choices
Before you buy a Merino garment marketed as “Australian,” ask the following:
Where was it actually made?
Is the company transparent about its manufacturing?
Does it hold any formal certifications?
Can it demonstrate ethical and sustainable practices beyond just marketing claims?
Choose Genuine
Merino wool deserves better than to be used as a marketing buzzword. It should stand for quality, traceability and ethical production, from the sheep to the final stitch.
Support authenticity. Support Australian industry. Look beyond the label.
