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As part of my research for this column I lazily googled “world’s oldest textiles.” The plan was to open with some half-assed trivia chronicling just how old wool is. I’ve always just assumed that the textile is one of the oldest, so uncovering a startling fact concerning wool’s ancientness would have been the perfect segue into my argument of its pure superiority over all textiles and fabrics. Unfortunately, in brushing up on the history of textiles it became clear to me that just about every other fabric you can think of is equally old, therefore holding the same astounding amount of honor and personified wisdom.
Wool — along with silk, cotton, linen and really any other fiber imaginable, save newer, synthetic fabrics — is really, really old, dating back to 4000 BCE. It was used by Ancient Egyptians, Classical Greeks and just about everyone else in Europe, Asia and Africa, but with the sheer lack of written history of textiles (given that nobody probably cared enough to chronicle such a mundane topic), I’m going to have to get a little more creative to convince you of wool’s absolute dominance over the textiles.
Unfortunately, the budget for a piece of writing like this is rather slim, meaning that organizing an informative and energetic wool parade to run through campus is just out of reach. Instead, I will start with a few simple reminders. Wool, as you are well aware, is often the main ingredient in your cozy fall sweaters. With its thick yet elastic structure, it has the unique ability to comfort and warm without constricting movement.
Wool is literally everywhere in my fall wardrobe. With one glance at my admittedly oversized and overstuffed closet I can count at least fifteen articles of clothing with wool at their core. That, mind you, is with only half of it exposed — I’m sure with more focused searching you could find much, much more.
My current obsession is wool blazers. They satisfy an odd necessity of mine to look and act like a mid-century archaeology professor that has stuck with me since I first saw the “Indiana Jones” films as a little guy — Harrison Ford was never sexier to me than in his classroom with his dopey round glasses and wool blazer, if we’re being honest.
Aside from that, the fuzzy, rugged texture captures the essence of fall. In neutrals of grey and brown, they emit perfect visual warmth that carries me through the fall months. There is a particular dark brown blazer that I’ve cherished since high school. A hand-me-down from my business professor uncle, the tweed sports coat with Technicolor threads sneakily woven into it has been a trusty companion of mine year in and year out. I’ve worn it to high school dances, job interviews, fancy Christmas parties and casually in the summer as a high-class swimsuit cover up.
It never lets me down in a sticky sartorial situation, and for this fact I owe an infinite amount of gratitude toward wool. Without it I would be absolutely nothing.
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