It could be the answer to male wardrobe worries – a shirt you can wear for 100 days without having to wash or iron.
US Company Wool&Prince says normal button-down shirts wrinkle and smell after a wear or two.
It is new wool shirts; however, require just a gentle wash once every 100 wears.
Currently cotton shirts require harsh washing, dry-cleaning, and ironing which slowly wear down the shirt until they are worn out after two or three years.
The new shirts are made of wool which lasts six times longer than cotton and is naturally anti-wrinkle and odor-fighting.
The company has spent six months developing its trade-marked Cotton-Soft wool fabric for the shirts.
When they do eventually need washing, Wool&Prince recommends a dry clean or gentle wash with no need to put in a dryer.
Explaining the technology, a spokesman said: ‘Many different sheep breeds means many different types of wool.
‘Some are fine, others are coarse and itchy.
‘We use the finest wool shirting yarn out there-usually reserved for the luxury fashion industry.
‘Our fabric will redefine what you think of wool.
‘Those itchy sweaters your grandma knitted will be an afterthought once you get your hands on a Wool&Prince button-down.
‘We’ve laboured over every detail for the past six months.’
They came up with the idea of the shirt because men love jeans for their versatile, low-maintenance nature, but didn’t have an above-the-waist option.
The company aid it did not expect anyone to wear their shirt 100 days in a row.
But the spokesman added: ‘If you want to go for the 100 Day Challenge, we aren’t going to stop you.’
Shirts were given to 15 wear testers around the world.
They did everything from backpacking in the Andes to dancing in sweaty, humid New York city nightclubs.
The spokesman said the firm got constructive feedback about the different fabrics, fits, and patterns.
The no-wrinkle, no-odor properties of wool impressed the testers, but they wanted slimmer fits, work appropriate patterns and softer fabrics.
One of the testers, consultant Aaron Flack, said: ‘I crumpled the shirt into a ball and put it in the bottom of my backpack when I am running around the city just to see if I can ruin it.
‘No luck-it comes out ready to wear every time.’
Laboratory tests have shown that wool fibers resist tearing and can bend back on themselves more than 20,000 times without breaking.
Cotton breaks after 3,200 bends.
Wool is the most resilient fiber to wrinkles because it has a natural crimp that helps it keep its shape.
Wool fibers can be stretched and still bounce back to their original shape.
Sweat itself has no odor.
If it remains on the skin bacteria develop and create unpleasant body odors.
Wool reduces the opportunity for odors to generate, because it is more efficient than other textiles at absorbing sweat and evaporating it into the air.
The spokesman said hospital studies have shown that bacterial colonies are common in cotton sheets, while not present on wool blankets subjected to the same environmental conditions.
Unlike synthetic fibers, wool does not retain odors and will freshen just from airing out.
Wool is a natural insulator to keep you warm in winter and naturally breathable to keep you cool in summer.
The company advertised for start-up funds of £19,500 on investment site Kickstarter to get production of the New York designed shirts up and running.
In fact, they quickly raised more than double that .
The shirts are available to Kickstarter investors starting at £63 each, with discounts for multiple buys.
Normal retail prices have not yet been announced.
Culled from Dailymail.co.uk