Home & Design

A Blanket Statement

February 25, 2015

Tags:

IN THIS WORLD of throws and duvets and comforters, I suddenly crave a plain old blanket against our current icy depths. Well, not plain or old, but a pre-trendy, bedroom-basic blanket.

There are, happily, manufacturers and retailers happy to accommodate the shivering among us. There are the oldest names in the country, such as Pendleton of Oregon and Faribault of Minnesota. And there are flossy newcomers, such as the latest Stateside location–949 H Street NW, in Washington, D.C.’s new City Center complex–of the fabled Loro Piana, the Italian textile house and creator of sumptuous cashmere (real cashmere) clothing for men and women. In addition, Loro Piana produces luxurious blankets of cashmere, and vicuña, and cashmere trimmed with fur (be sure your trust fund can accommodate a four- or five-digit purchase).

Pendleton Woolen Mills has a line of blankets woven to celebrate our National Parks, starting with the Glacier National Park blanket, first offered in 1910; the even older Faribault Woolen Mill Co., founded in 1865, has its Storied Explorations series, marking such wilderness spots as Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

For Pendleton and Faribault, you only have to get to your computer to order up a real blanket.  Ditto the woolen  Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket ($499 in queen size), which has been sold by L.L Bean since 1925. The storied Vermont Country Store covers the blanket front with everything from cotton to wool to “fleece,” with detours into acrylic and, dare we say it, Vellux.

See you back out there when it warms up!

–Nancy McKeon

 



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *