Faribault Woolen Mill x All Plaidout Shadow Plaid Foot Soldier Blanket

When the time came to name this All Plaidout, a blog with posts about things that are not trendy, about the stories of style over fashion, about the stories behind the clothes we wear, I turned to the rich history of a cloth pattern known as a tartan. I chose the tartan most emblematic of my style, my appreciation of history, and the one that most often showed up in my closet from as early on as I can remember, the Black Watch.

A dark, neutral tartan, it was first worn by the watchmen, highly trained members of the Scottish military who’d combined their clan’s patterns to stand as one. Owed primarily to its widely appealing aesthetic quality, it has become one of the most popular and sought after plaids.

When collaborating with John Mooty at Faribault Woolen Mill on a Black Watch plaid blanket, he offered a unique suggestion.

“Let’s ground it in the threads of the U.S. Military blankets for which we’re most well-known,” he said.

By combining the green from the U.S. Army, the blue from the U.S. Navy, and the black from the West Point Academy blankets, Faribault has created a subtly new, beautiful, and altogether American take on a pattern with a rich and wonderful history.

As for the blanket itself, far from those rough ones I remember wrapping myself in while sitting on the bleachers at high school football games, these thick, warm blankets are made of the same MIL-SPEC yarns as those that protect those whose job it is to protect and serve the rest of us.

Finished with the flourish of a red-yarned whipstitch – which too nods to the various derivations in the Black Watch plaid, a red line in the pattern signified at times difference in rank or platoon – every effort has been made to ensure each blanket provides the utmost in functionality and comfort.

Read Laura Pearson’s piece on blankets in the Chicago Tribune, featuring this blanket.

Ask for the “Shadow Plaid Foot Soldier” blanket with the All Plaidout label anywhere Faribault Woolen Mill products are sold.

For over 100 years, our heavyweight Frontier Bed Blanket has been a best-seller, loved for its distinctive quality, durability and iconic stripe pattern.

Since 1865, Faribault blankets are proudly Minnesota-made in one of the last vertical woolen mills in America. 

Made with extra-fine 100% Wool, its insulating properties will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, making it a practical choice and perfect for use throughout the year.

For every bed blanket sold, Faribault will donate a blanket to nonprofits serving youth experiencing homelessness in cities across the country.

Sizes:
Twin 66" x 96" (6.75 lbs)
Full 80" x 96" (8.5 lbs)
Queen 90" x 96" (9.88 lbs)
King 108" x 96" (10.75 lbs)

100% Wool - Extra Fine
Dry clean only
With the right care, Faribault Mill products can last for generations.