A brief history of woollen clothing

Wool has been available to use in the manufacture of clothing for centuries. Indeed, ever since sheep were first used as farm animals, it was clear that there was the possibility to make use of their coats.

Originally, wool would have been removed from the sheep by hand. This must have been a lengthy and labour intensive task.

The oldest known example of a woollen garment dates from around 1500BC and was preserved in a peat bog in Denmark, Northern Europe.

By the Iron Age, the introduction of shears would have made the process of extracting the wool much easier.

The Romans were well aware of the potential that wool offered and it became one of the three fundamental materials that were used to provide clothing for the populace (the other two being leather and linen).

It was during the Roman area that it is believed that people first started to take real notice of the different qualities of wool that could be found on different breeds of sheep and goats.

Indeed, the region of Tarentum became famed for its high quality products, largely as a result of the specific breeding of sheep that produced the finest quality woollen products.

Over the intervening centuries, trading in woollen products grew more and more common. Such products were valued for their high quality, comfort and warmth.

It wasn't until the middle of the twentieth century that wool started to lose its value. With man-made replacements being found, demand for woollen produce was falling.

In recent years there has been something of a comeback, with wool providing a renewable source of clothing and with more people seeing the value in traditional items and their production.