Fake Icelandic Sweaters
In the summer of 2019 we learned that some of the most heavily visited stores in Iceland, a small island nation where tourism fuels more than 40% of the economy, do not sell authentic Icelandic sweaters. They sell some sweaters that are knit from Icelandic wool, but those sweaters are manufactured in China, Slovakia, Portugal, or Lithuania.
We visited tourist shops at major destinations including the Blue Lagoon and Geysir—and found no sweaters knit in Iceland. Even Rammagerdin, a store which since 1949 was dedicated to selling goods made by Icelandic craftsmen, now sells sweaters that are made in China. Here are some photos we took of labels in sweaters sold at some of the most heavily trafficked destinations in Iceland.
Geysir
None of the sweaters on this table in the Geysir store were knitted in Iceland. They are made in Portugal and are not pure wool.
Blue Lagoon
Perhaps the most heavily visited destination in Iceland. When we visited there in August 2019 there were selling "Icelandic" looking sweaters knitted in Portugal.
Rammagerdin
The marketing at this historic shop relies heavily on Icelandic history and craft, but most of the sweaters they sell are made in China.
