Johnston’s of Elgin
When we think of fashion history, we, naturally, think of designers, trends, and the looks of an era. What we don’t think of as readily is the history of the fabric itself.
Lately, I’ve been delving into that side of fashion research by reading The Golden Thread; How Fabric Changed History. Far from being a weighty tome that painstakingly details every textile innovation in history, it skips its way through the centuries, pulling out fascinating tales of textile life from the ancient Egyptians to modern athletes. I recommend it for some cozy winter reading.
In May, we’ll be traveling on The Grand Scottish Textile Tour, which will offer us the opportunity to learn more about the history of Scotland’s textiles. One of the woolen mills we will be visiting is Johnstons of Elgin, a brand whose roots go back to 1797. One of my favorite fashion blogs, Permanent Style has written about Johnstons. Read it here as a little amuse-bouche to our trip!