herringbone history

April 09 2022
herringbone history

15 April 2022. Just in! A fresh batch of our herringbone cotton bath towels, hand towels and washcloths, the ones we find ourselves reaching for again and again. If you're looking for a way to refresh your household textiles for spring, these towels are lovely and absorbent for the bath and super soft on skin. 

We've always wondered where the herringbone weave comes from, and it turns out herringbone patterns are ancient, having been found in early Egyptian jewelry, Native American basket weaving, and Roman roads.

When it comes to fabric, herringbone refers to a specific type of weave: a broken twill pattern, which like the Roman roads, has a distinctive V shape. A herringbone weave is commonly found in wool and twill fabrics, but can be applied to any type of material. In our case, we use it for a variety of products from linen kitchen cloths to clothing to our cotton herringbone towels. We love the texture and pattern of a classic herringbone.

You can find all of our herringbone patterned items here.