Trailer Trad Grooming: British Bargain

Few things are more trad than British-made goods. This, we can all agree on! However, there are far fewer British-made things that are trailer trad. I'd like to give you a wonderful example of something made in the U.K. that is and tell you why. Amy Winehouse is just trailer, by the way.

Christy of England primarily makes towels and linens. And this they do very well. According to its web site, "Christy was founded in 1851 and created the first manufactured terrycloth towel as we know it today. The story goes that founder Henry Christy visited the Palace of the Sultan in Constantinople and he bought back with him a sample of a hand made, loop pile fabric which was new to the western world. His brother, Richard Christy analysed how to mechanically reproduce the loop pile, and patented a machine to produce terry towelling on a large scale. When the founding Christy brothers showed the towel at the Great Exhibition almost 160 years ago, Queen Victoria immediately ordered more for her personal use. " Since then the Christy name has been synonymous with quality and luxury.

So far, this sounds similar to Barbour, Church's or any of the other great British brands. Great quality with a great history. True, but its the quality and reasonable price that makes Christy towels trailer trad. The term 'affordable luxury' is bandied about a lot but rarely is it anything more than a marketer's slogan. Christy towels and bath robes (as well as bed linens) are routinely found in the very, very best hotels and spas in the world. But how could a peon like you ever hope to afford them?

Does twenty dollars sound like a lot to pay for a thick Christy standard bath towel? It doesn't to me but that's what they commonly cost if you look around. Consider this. My family routinely use Christy towels day in, day out for a decade or more. That's right. They are as shaggy as a Golden Doodle and as tough as Michael Vick's pit bulls. And they are still made in England.

At Wimbledon in June, history was made when American John Isner and Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut battled it out in a titanic eleven hour marathon of a match. When the epic was over, it was perhaps symbolic that they buried their weary faces in Christy Wimbledon towels, the epitome of strength and quiet excellence over the very long haul.

Christy Linens

Christy Towels at The Company Store

Christy Towel Outlet

Sale Page at Christy's Web Site