Last week's heavy autumn rainfall in Eretz Yisroel heralding the imminent arrival of winter led to a 50-percent increase in retail clothing sales. But along with hopes for a wet winter, shatnez experts are warning of a sharp increase in the number of garments found to contain forbidden mixtures.
HaRav Ezriel Auerbach and the Shatnez Prevention Committee, under the Eida Chareidis of Jerusalem, have decided to issue a public notice stressing the need to follow the directives of maranan verabbonon not to rely on retailers' assurances or sample checking. Consumers should ensure the clothes they purchase have been properly checked and should send every item that might contain forbidden mixtures to a certified shatnez lab to avoid the risk of this grave prohibition, which impedes tefilloh according to the Tzlach.
Rabbonim from the Shatnez Prevention Committee note that many winter clothes are imported from European countries where the use of linen remains widespread. According to the Committee, "Winter clothes contain high percentages of wool and can contain shatnez mixtures. Because of the strength advantage linen fibers offer, many manufacturers prefer to use linen to extend the garment's durability."
As the clothing industry places greater emphasis on environmentally-friendly production and customers become more aware of the option of using natural fabrics rather than synthetics like nylon and polyester, linen is once again assuming its place of honor in the clothing industry.
Linen is the strongest natural fiber available and today developments in textile engineering allow linen threads to be interwoven very carefully in various fabrics and applications, making its use common in coats and other types of winter wear.
