At the Spirit of Christmas Fair we were given a single glove and set off to find its' pair amidst the hundreds of stall.

What we found was a story worth telling and a product made for wearing - especially in the middle of Winter!

Possmere create beautiful clothing that is not only comfortable to wear and great looking but also extra-ordinarily warm.

Fur products have always caused controversy and divided opinion and when we discovered Possmere we wanted to find out more about their use of fur and why they had chosen to use Possum in their products.

The Brushtail Possum, introduced to New Zealand in the 1850's has caused devastating effects to New Zealand's native forest and animal species.

In its native land the possum is up against dingoes, bush fires and less palatable vegetation. In New Zealand there are no predators and lots of very palatable vegetation.

As a result, possums have a huge impact on New Zealand ecosystems. With no natural predators there are more than 70 million eating more than 20,000 tonnes of native vegetation every night.

A need to halt this devastation and inspired by a passion for the environment, Luxury New Zealand Original Knitwear Ltd (LuxNZOK) the company behind Possmere, is supported by the New Zealand government in its innovative approach and practical market solution to this environmental challenge.

Every packet produced by Possmere bears the name and picture of an animal or plant that is under threat from the Bushtail Possum and every item purchased helps to save New Zealand's native forests and birdlife from destruction.

Eco-logical story aside though, does the Possmere range stand up to their claims of luxury, superior wear, warmth and non-pilling qualities?

We put a few items to the test...

Extreme Adventure Socks

Heavy duty socks for extreme outdoor conditions, with nylon reinforced areas for targeted support and durability, Extreme Adventure socks have medium and extra density padding throughout and are made with a no-irritation toe seam.

Knee length and made with a combination of Merino wool and Possum fur, these socks are a must-have for any winter holiday suitcase.

We enlisted Donna to test these as she is always out and about and looking for something to keep her feet and legs warm.

Her first impressions were that they looked great and the picture of the eagle on the packet really caught her attention. On closer inspection Donna discovered some of the story behind the brand, loved the packaging and found the product information detailed and interesting yet concise and therefore easy to read.

Donna found the socks very soft to touch, comfortable on her skin and extremely well fitting. They didn't fall down despite being worn for long periods of time, (after which some socks can become loose and baggy).

Not only comfortable for wearing inside of boots and shoes when you are out, they are also great for wearing when you are simply sitting around relaxing at home as they provide good support and snugness without being restricting.

As for the care, they were simply hand washed and squeezed out before being left to dry overnight. Perfectly easy and ready to wear, time and time again.

With a £25 price tag these socks make a great investment for anyone who spends a long time on their feet in the colder weather. For fishing, horse riding and any outdoor sport they are ideal, offering superior warmth as well as additional support.

Possmere Plain Glove

Made with a unique blend of Possum fur and Merino wool from New Zealand, the Possmere gloves were tested by Sarah, who suffers from cold hands and feet, all year round.

Sarah instantly took to the gloves and was very pleased by the feel of the fur/wool combination, especially since some wool can feel odd to the touch.

Apart from keeping her hands warmer than achieved by any other pair of gloves she has worn, Sarah found that while wearing the Possmere gloves she could also touch her hair without it becoming static.

This is a common problem with some wool blend gloves, and can be very irritating when brushing a stray hair from your face results in the rest clinging to it!

Non-itchy, these gloves did not irritate or scratch, are a good fit, providing a good level of warmth and are easy to wash and care for.

Available in four sizes and a variety of five plain colour, these gloves are currently priced at £15 a pair. With many gloves available at this time of year it can be tempting to buy the cheaper nylon/wool blends but with Possmere we think you will get a better glove for your money and a pair that will last this winter through, and the next.

If you have gloves on your Christmas list - make sure they are Possmere gloves...

Bushman's Friend Socks

The harsh elements of the outdoors demand feet be warm and comfortable for hours on end in boots. Bushman's Friends Socks claim to breathe easily, dry quickly and be durable whilst extraordinarily warm.

And we agree...

These calf length socks have a loop pile sole for comfort, warmth, durability and foot protection and again feature a no-irritation toe seam.

They do seem to come up slightly bigger in size than labelled but that makes them great for wearing over a trainer sock - something we do occasionally to save us from washing 'outer' socks everyday!

With a good grip around the ankles they stayed up where they are meant to while not restricting our circulation in any way.

We tested them inside a favourite pair of boots that happen to have a small hole in, yet it took a few people to feel the socks to see if they had actually gotten wet, since they were still maintaining warmth and did not make our feet feel cold at the end of the walk.

In fact, we discovered that they were slightly damp from the leak but had kept this feeling away from our skin. A quick stint above the radiator and all was warm and dry again.

Priced at a reasonable £20, we found the socks very easy to wash and dry, although we have to point out that these items are not suitable for the tumble drier.

With a quick rinse through, wring and dry flat they have one of the easiest care and wear instruction for specialist clothing.

On the whole we have to say we were very impressed with all the items we tested and they are still being used daily because they are doing the job for which they are intended AND our testers don't want to give them back.

With the floods and rain this November (2012) we seem to be spending more time in boots and wellies than is usual, and the one thing we dislike is cold hands and feet.

And for that Possmere has the answer!

Discover their whole range at www.possmere.co.uk