Words by James Eden

It is no coincidence that within ten miles of our Manchester factory lie some of the finest producers of woollen cloth in the world. The north of England is justly recognised as one of the great producers of fabric and these manufacturers have centuries of experience in the industry.

Over the years myself together with our Managing Director, Mike Stoll, and Head of Product, Kasia Staniszewska have fostered close working relationships that border on the telepathic to ensure that the remaining textile mills of Lancashire and Yorkshire provide us here at Private White V.C. with exactly the right materials.

Words by James Eden

It is no coincidence that within ten miles of our Manchester factory lie some of the finest producers of woollen cloth in the world. The north of England is justly recognised as one of the great producers of fabric and these manufacturers have centuries of experience in the industry.

Over the years myself together with our Managing Director, Mike Stoll, and Head of Product, Kasia Staniszewska have fostered close working relationships that border on the telepathic to ensure that the remaining textile mills of Lancashire and Yorkshire provide us here at Private White V.C. with exactly the right materials.

Merino is also used in our WFA blazer, revealing the variation in feel and finish that
can be achieved from the same wool. It is woven by Marling & Evans, founded in 1782, and based in Slaithwaite (pronounced Sla-wit) on the edge of Yorkshire. The mill, with wooden floors and old looms, is adept at producing bespoke fabric, tailored to the needs of their customers. As explained by their Design Director, Mark Garrett: “We do a lot of development, working closely with customers like Private White. For them, they have to get the product right. It’s got to be a more luxurious type of fabric. Price is important, but the key is to develop the product correctly and to a proper standard.”

Marling & Evans’ fabric for the WFA blazer uses a looser crossweave construction, which gives it such different characteristics to the Peacoat. Kasia explains, “We do use quite thick yarn, but it is much more loosely woven. It gives more stretch and flexibility to the fabric and when you hold it up you can see the light coming through.” What this creates is an unstructured blazer that combines cardigan-like comfort and impeccable style.

The relationship with our mills is to the fore in our long-standing association with luxury taste arbiter Simon Crompton of Permanent Style. He developed our Peacoat’s refined crew mate,
the Bridge Coat, which adds cashmere to create a more luxurious garment. In addition, Kasia worked closely with him on our ever popular Donegal coat. This is made from herringbone lambswool cloth woven by the long-established Mallalieus of Delph. It acquires its unique softness from the River Tame, which literally runs under their Valley Mill on the edge of the Peak District. Managing Director Clive Walsh explains to me why this makes the cloth so special: “The British textile industry is focused in the north of England, largely due to the perfect “soft” water, which lends itself perfectly to giving the fabric finishing a more luxurious feel.”

As the name suggests, the lambswool in the Donegal coat uses the softest new wool from the first shearing of the young sheep. However, the exquisite colour and finish is due to the ease with which Private White can liaise with our mills, tapping into the depth of knowledge of companies such as Mallalieus or Marling and Evans. This familiarity is enhanced by our

“We only buy jumpers from Johnstons because they are one of the few companies who do the knitting themselves and we can go to the factory and see them. We have transparency about how and where the jumpers are made.”

They operate a vertical operation allowing the product to be mapped from sheep to loom to fabric. It is from here that we source our knitwear, with both the Submariner Roll Neck and the Ribbed Crew Neck sweater made by Johnstons of Elgin. The same considerations are given to the quality of the product and the location of the manufacturer, even if they are not right on our doorstep. Kasia explains: “We only buy jumpers from Johnstons because they are one of the few companies who do the knitting themselves and we can go to the factory and see them. We have transparency about how and where the jumpers are made.”

Farmed from the Orkney Islands to the fields of the Cotswolds and famed from Beijing to Boston, British wool has a storied history and outstanding reputation. This most natural of fabrics is also one of the most enduring and adaptable - and, should you pull at the thread behind the material, you’ll discover a complex and compelling story will unravel.

Merino is also used in our WFA blazer, revealing the variation in feel and finish that
can be achieved from the same wool. It is woven by Marling & Evans, founded in 1782, and based in Slaithwaite (pronounced Sla-wit) on the edge of Yorkshire. The mill, with wooden floors and old looms, is adept at producing bespoke fabric, tailored to the needs of their customers. As explained by their Design Director, Mark Garrett: “We do a lot of development, working closely with customers like Private White. For them, they have to get the product right. It’s got to be a more luxurious type of fabric. Price is important, but the key is to develop the product correctly and to a proper standard.”

Marling & Evans’ fabric for the WFA blazer uses a looser crossweave construction, which gives it such different characteristics to the Peacoat. Kasia explains, “We do use quite thick yarn, but it is much more loosely woven. It gives more stretch and flexibility to the fabric and when you hold it up you can see the light coming through.” What this creates is an unstructured blazer that combines cardigan-like comfort and impeccable style.

The relationship with our mills is to the fore in our long-standing association with luxury taste arbiter Simon Crompton of Permanent Style. He developed our Peacoat’s refined crew mate,
the Bridge Coat, which adds cashmere to create a more luxurious garment. In addition, Kasia worked closely with him on our ever popular Donegal coat. This is made from herringbone lambswool cloth woven by the long-established Mallalieus of Delph. It acquires its unique softness from the River Tame, which literally runs under their Valley Mill on the edge of the Peak District. Managing Director Clive Walsh explains to me why this makes the cloth so special: “The British textile industry is focused in the north of England, largely due to the perfect “soft” water, which lends itself perfectly to giving the fabric finishing a more luxurious feel.”

As the name suggests, the lambswool in the Donegal coat uses the softest new wool from the first shearing of the young sheep. However, the exquisite colour and finish is due to the ease with which Private White can liaise with our mills, tapping into the depth of knowledge of companies such as Mallalieus or Marling and Evans. This familiarity is enhanced by our

closeness, allowing an intimate knowledge of the processes the mills use and easy access to their archives, swatch books and factory floor. There are also environmental considerations, as Clive outlines: “The proximity of the two companies has further enhanced the minimal carbon footprint with everything from woollen fleece to finished garment within a 25 mile radius.” It also means, as Kasia points out, “Clive or Mark can deliver the fabric if I need it immediately – and drop in for a cup of tea.”

It is not always possible to keep our contacts within range of our teapot, but world-class fabrics can be found relatively close at hand thanks to Britain’s expertise in wool production. Cashmere, for instance, is prized for its luxurious, super-soft feel and unrivalled quality, using the yarn from goats from as far afield as Mongolia. Elgin, on the Scottish North Sea coast, is home to Johnstons, who are renowned as the producers of some of the finest cashmere anywhere.

They operate a vertical operation allowing the product to be mapped from sheep to loom to fabric. It is from here that we source our knitwear, with both the Submariner Roll Neck and the Ribbed Crew Neck sweater made by Johnstons of Elgin. The same considerations are given to the quality of the product and the location of the manufacturer, even if they are not right on our doorstep. Kasia explains: “We only buy jumpers from Johnstons because they are one of the few companies who do the knitting themselves and we can go to the factory and see them. We have transparency about how and where the jumpers are made.”

Farmed from the Orkney Islands to the fields of the Cotswolds and famed from Beijing to Boston, British wool has a storied history and outstanding reputation. This most natural of fabrics is also one of the most enduring and adaptable - and, should you pull at the thread behind the material, you’ll discover a complex and compelling story will unravel.