# My dog hair sticks like crazy to my "100% wool" suit. Can I figure out if I was lied to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 27, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871 "2015-10-27T13:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/1 "2015-10-27T13:12:25Z")
I am far from a suit expert, but I have owned suits before that I am pretty sure were 100% wool. I have never had problems with them attracting and hanging on to large amounts of pet hair. I just purchase several suits from a place that said their suits were 100% wool, but after wearing them for a few days, I am definitely noticing a difference in how pet hair clings to them. I’m looking down at my pants and thinking I am going to need to buy a lint roller and bring it to work. Isn’t that a indication that they have a substantial amount of polyester in them? Is there any way I can tell? Did I get ripped off? PS. I did get the suits from Jos. A Bank (maybe that will help the discussion), but I am not interested in a Jos. A Bank vs other suits argument. I am looking for a factual discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/2 "2015-10-27T14:13:14Z")
I think your method of proof/investigation is off. I can’t believe pet hair clings to polyester more than wool: the materials work to the contrary. Polyester cloth is very very smooth, so the physical trapping of hair is far less, and I believe has little or no ability to store static charge (although I’m sure others can correct me or go into details better than I can on that). In NYC, at the bigger clothing stores, to be 100% sure you need only request that the suit be checked for _shatnez_ [Shatnez - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatnez) Extraordinary how the market adapts to local conditions. Gentile tailors in this case know more arcana of Jewish _mitzvot_ than most secular Jews. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/3 "2015-10-27T14:15:56Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > I think your method of proof/investigation is off. I can’t believe pet hair clings to polyester more than wool: the materials work to the contrary. Polyester cloth is very very smooth, so the physical trapping of hair is far less, and I believe has little or no ability to store static charge (although I’m sure others could go into details better than I can on that). Polyester hiking clothes can develop quite a bit of static charge, sometimes it clings tightly to the body almost like cling plastic wrap. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/4 "2015-10-27T14:22:33Z")
I stand corrected, and apologies to OP. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/5 "2015-10-27T14:44:43Z")
I am not an expert in fabric but there is not just one type of wool fabric. The weave, texture, and fiber quality probably all come into play for how fabric grabs or sheds animal hair. I have several pairs of pants and suits that are 100% wool (many of them are Jos. A. Bank) and the surface texture varies quite a bit. Summer-weight wools can be quite fine and silky. Some heavier fabrics or weaves can be quite coarse, and I would imagine they are more prone to grabbing hairs. I am also guessing that there is a difference in the wool fiber itself but my experience is that Jos. A Bank uses pretty good materials. I don’t have pets anymore so I can’t speak specifically to the hair issue. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/6 "2015-10-27T15:38:44Z")
And if the pets you have with this suit are different than with previous suits (I assume, since a well made suit should last a long time) it may be that their hair or fur is different. I still have dalmatian hair embedded in the seats of the truck. That dog died over 8 years ago. Her hair was barbed, I swear. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/7 "2015-10-27T20:54:10Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I am not an expert in fabric but there is not just one type of wool fabric. The weave, texture, and fiber quality probably all come into play for how fabric grabs or sheds animal hair. I have several pairs of pants and suits that are 100% wool (many of them are Jos. A. Bank) and the surface texture varies quite a bit. Summer-weight wools can be quite fine and silky. Some heavier fabrics or weaves can be quite coarse, and I would imagine they are more prone to grabbing hairs. I am also guessing that there is a difference in the wool fiber itself but my experience is that Jos. A Bank uses pretty good materials. I don’t have pets anymore so I can’t speak specifically to the hair issue. This could be it. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/8 "2015-10-27T20:55:36Z")
> [@saje](#): > > And if the pets you have with this suit are different than with previous suits (I assume, since a well made suit should last a long time) it may be that their hair or fur is different. > > I still have dalmatian hair embedded in the seats of the truck. That dog died over 8 years ago. Her hair was barbed, I swear. Same pet. I can wear my older pants and not worry about it, but with the new pants I have to periodically check myself to see how furry I am. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/9 "2015-10-27T21:00:33Z")
Perhaps, before going too far with a complaint, you might read up on wool. > **[Shop by Category | eBay](http://www.ebay.com/n/all-categories)** > > Shop by department, purchase cars, fashion apparel, collectibles, sporting goods, cameras, baby items, and everything else on eBay, the world's online marketplace ---
**Author:** ![misling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@misling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misling)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/10 "2015-10-27T21:02:45Z")
Wool varies a LOT, and how it is prepared and spun also varies. Very fine, tightly spun, long fiber wools tend to be smooth. But other wool can be coarser, ‘hairy’, or short in fiber. Any wool can be loosely spun, and if it is loosely spun, or hairy, or short-fiber (which causes more ends to be sticking out), it may grab onto dog hairs. You can even spin wool to be visibly shaggy. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-hair-sticks-like-crazy-to-my-100-wool-suit-can-i-figure-out-if-i-was-lied-to/735871/11 "2015-10-27T21:32:50Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Polyester hiking clothes can develop quite a bit of static charge, sometimes it clings tightly to the body almost like cling plastic wrap. Yes, not to pile on, but back in the day, walking on carpet wearing pantihose plus a polyester slip was a perfect storm of static cling!