Reid And Taylor: Drawing The Damping

We are excited to have the new Reid and Taylor books in the store. The 170-year-old mill has collaborated with Escorial to develop 120 patterns.

The rare Escorial fiber is the worlds finest naturally grown wool measuring 12 microns or finer. The fiber has a helical crimp, derived from its natural spiral shape. This traps air and creates elasticity making it incredibly light, flexible and crease resistant.

We have worked with Escorial for nearly a year now, showcasing the cloth for the first time in New Zealand. These books are a New Zealand grower’s initiative and the fleece is grown right here in New Zealand.

My favorite cloth is the 'London Shrunk' flannel. Synonymous with the Savile Row craft the pre-shrinking or sponging process was achieved by dampening the fabric with a sponge and then rolling it in moist muslin. Textile finishers W. T. Johnson & Sons have performed this bespoke process, a process that hasn't really changed in the last 350 years.

London shrinking is one of the oldest hand treatments of woolens and the result is a paper finish created by moisture, heat and pressure. The 'handle' of the cloth is unsurpassed.

Here is a great link to some early footage of the process.