Who Makes Our Blankets?
The people of Prato and the story woven in every blanket
Prato, Italy.
A small town just outside Florence, tucked into the Tuscan landscape. This is where Sackcloth & Ashes fabric is made — right here in the heart of Renaissance country. But Prato’s legacy isn’t just art and cathedrals. It’s fabric. Woven and refined for centuries by hands that know the craft better than anyone.
Since the 12th century, Prato has been the engine of Italy’s textile trade. The Wool Merchants’ Guild set the standard early — quality wasn’t a trend, it was the law. That standard stuck for generations as artisans, manufacturers, and designers built an empire of fabric here. When you visit them, you can see that they have pride in their story. They tell of the days where they’re slogan was once, “We put the shirt on your back.”
Walk into one of these factories, and you’ll see people working hard to move the vision forward. They don’t cut corners. They don’t mass-produce for speed. They work with precision, with history in their hands. And the fabric they create? It carries stories, tradition, and a quiet defiance against a world obsessed with the cheap and disposable.
This is Prato.
This is where our blankets begin.
Here, fabric isn’t just made—it’s inherited. A man in his sixties traces his family’s yarn business back to the early 1900s. A younger artisan, despite the lure of modern careers, chooses the mill, carrying forward a tradition that once seemed destined to disappear. They remember the golden years—when Prato’s textiles were sought after by the world’s best designers—and the hard years, when cheap, mass-produced imports nearly crushed the industry. They’ve seen factories close, families move on, the city shift under the weight of globalization. But they’ve also fought back, reinventing themselves through sustainable textile production, proving that resilience is woven into their craft.
When Sackcloth & Ashes partnered with Prato’s artisans, it wasn’t just about quality — it was about people. They create with intention, blending tradition with innovation to ensure that every piece of fabric is both ethical and enduring. Many of the mills we work with specialize in recycled wool, a practice perfected long before sustainability was a buzzword. They take discarded garments, break them down into fibers, and spin them into something new—giving fabric a second life.
It’s poetic.
But their story isn’t just about craft. It’s about survival. The rise of fast fashion nearly dismantled their way of life. Many have watched their children leave, choosing careers with more stability and less physical labor. Some fought to keep family businesses alive; others had to close their doors, unable to compete with an industry that values speed over skill. And yet, against all odds, they’re still here. Still weaving. Still proving that quality, artistry, and human connection matter more than profit margins.
That’s why every Sackcloth & Ashes blanket made in Prato carries more than warmth. It carries a city’s history, a family’s legacy, and a craft that refuses to be forgotten. When you wrap yourself in one — you’re representing story, history. A story of resilience, reinvention, and a community that has spent centuries turning something simple into something extraordinary.
Because in Prato, fabric isn’t just fabric.
It’s history, woven into every thread.
View blog post on Sackcloth & Ashes Substack.
