Loopwheel Cotton | A rare breed in the world of Knitwear

So much hype over a fabric that has so little information online about it, let's chat a bit about Loopwheel cotton and it's superior quality.

While there are sporadic outputs by some international mills of real Loopwheel cotton, the finest Loopwheel is proudly produced in Wakayama, Japan, with only two factories that are still operational and capable of producing this elusive fabric. 

Loopwheel cotton is produced on a French Circular Knitting machine, the way sweatshirts were first made in the 1930s. As many of these machines date back a half century, keeping them operational and efficient is the hardest task of producing Loopwheel fabrics.

With only a handful of shokunin (skilled artisans) able to operate the machines to ensure the best possible output, labor shortages also cause supply droughts during the busiest season's (Fall/Winter).

Loopwheel is sometimes called tubular, as the fabric is crafted in a circular motion creating a seamless fabric tube.

Studio D'Artisan have excelled at production of Loopwheel garments, primarily because they have been producing out of the same factory for over three decades, and are able to develop and manufacture original Loopwheel fabrics season after season. Pictured above is their Suvin Gold yarns, a cotton that is revered amongst the softest in the world.