Merino is not ordinary wool. The fibre is a fraction of the width of a human hair, so it bends against the skin instead of prickling. That is why our pieces feel like fine cotton on, and why you can wear them next to the skin all day.

Australia grows the finest merino in the world. The sheep live outdoors through hot days and cold nights, and their fleece evolved to cope with both: it keeps you warm when it is cold and lets heat out when it is warm.

Wool also manages moisture. It pulls sweat away from the skin as vapour and holds up to a third of its weight before it feels damp. Odour-causing bacteria never get a foothold, so a Nora Laine layer can be worn for days between washes.

We knit it at a fine gauge with a smooth, flat face, so it drapes close and looks as good under a jacket as it does on its own. Machine washable, cool, on the wool cycle.

Nora Laine started with a simple frustration. Good knitwear cost far too much, and the affordable kind pilled, itched or lost its shape after a season.

So we set out to make a small, permanent range of pieces in fine merino and cashmere: the everyday layers you reach for first. No seasons, no logos, no prints. Just cut, fibre and colour.

We keep the range small and sell directly to you, so what you pay goes into the fibre and the knitting rather than a season of markdowns.

Every piece states exactly what it is made of. We would rather earn a returning customer than a quick sale, and that only works if what arrives is what we promised.