Jalfe: Cold weather, warm colours

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Malene Nelting

As winter settles in, staying warm does not necessarily mean reaching for heavier clothes. Merino wool is soft, breathable and naturally temperature-regulating, making it particularly suited to layers worn close to the skin. At Danish clothing brand Jalfe, those qualities have made the material a cornerstone of a colourful collection built around comfort, longevity and everyday wear.

For mother-and-daughter team Jane and Josefine Bredstrup, the appeal of merino wool is something they know as wearers as much as designers. Fine and flexible, it provides warmth without excessive bulk and feels considerably softer against the skin than many people expect from wool.

“Many people come to us saying that they normally can’t wear wool, but that they can wear our merino,” says Josefine, who teamed up with her mother to become Jalfe’s marketing manager around three years ago. “It’s extremely soft and flexible.”

That response has helped turn merino into one of Jalfe’s defining materials. Its bestselling long-sleeved blouse is now available in more than 25 solid colours as well as numerous striped combinations, while the collection is sold across several European markets, with particularly strong followings in Germany and Switzerland.

Jalfe: Cold weather, warm colours

From one blouse to a full collection

The story began in Svendborg in 2001, when Jane opened a small arts and crafts shop centred on handmade products and natural materials. As clothing gradually became a larger part of the assortment, she found herself missing a simple layer that could sit comfortably underneath dresses and other pieces. “We needed something simple to wear underneath everything else – something natural, comfortable and easy to combine,” she recalls.

The solution became a long-sleeved merino blouse, introduced in 2008. Initially sold in the shop, it gradually reached other retailers and international trade fairs, laying the foundation for Jalfe’s own clothing line.

While merino remains central to the range, Jalfe has since added organic cotton for lighter garments. Across both materials, the emphasis is on simple silhouettes, knitted fabrics and a broad colour palette rather than fast-changing seasonal collections.

Jalfe: Cold weather, warm colours

What makes merino work

For winter, the qualities of merino become particularly useful. The fine fibres help regulate body temperature, keeping the wearer warm in cooler conditions without the heaviness of a bulky layer. At the same time, the material is breathable and handles moisture well, making it practical when moving between the cold outdoors and heated indoor spaces. “We don’t really design it as functional clothing,” says Josefine. “The functionality comes naturally from the material and the simple silhouettes.”

The wool used by Jalfe is sourced from Australia and New Zealand and is mulesing-free. Its softness is particularly important for pieces intended to be worn directly against the skin, but the material also offers another practical advantage: it rarely needs washing after every wear. Because merino naturally resists odour, garments can often simply be aired before being returned to the wardrobe. “I often say: skip the wash and air it instead,” says Jane. “You can wear merino many times before it actually needs washing.”

Jalfe: Cold weather, warm colours

Fewer, better pieces

That approach to care fits naturally with the way Jalfe thinks about clothing more broadly. Rather than producing a completely new collection several times a year, the brand maintains a stable core range and introduces new designs and colours gradually, allowing successful pieces to remain available over time. “We don’t work with traditional seasons,” says Josefine. “The idea is to make good basics that work all the time and last for a long time.”

For Jane and Josefine, this approach reflects a shift they also recognise among customers. Clothes still need to look good, but increasingly they are also expected to be comfortable, practical and made from materials that make sense beyond a single season. “We know that once people have tried this kind of quality, many of them come back for it,” says Jane.

That loyalty perhaps explains why the idea behind Jalfe’s first merino blouse still runs through the collection today. In the end, Jalfe’s philosophy is less about seasons than longevity: fewer, better pieces, kept in use for longer.

Jalfe: Cold weather, warm colours