The Pringle of Scotland AW19 collection is what royal dreams are made of

With a history of more than 200 years, Pringle of Scotland may be considered one of the oldest luxury fashion brands in the world, but it is certainly far from old-fashioned.

Founded in 1815 by Robert Pringle as a manufacturer of knitted hosiery, it was Pringle, decades after its inception, that embraced and encouraged the technical innovation that led to the creation of knitted outerwear, and indeed coined the term “knitwear” to describe its ever-growing collections.

Synonymous with cashmere, the iconic argyle pattern, the twinset, and cardigans for – most notably – British and Hollywood royalty, Pringle continues to be a pioneer of British knitwear and a champion of British heritage.

The new Autumn/Winter 2019 collection, titled “The Past is Witnessed in the Present”, is a celebration of flirtatious fun. Each month will see something new in store. The collection for women is bright with cerise pinks, yellow gold, purples and royal blues, contrasting that with a classic, must-have, black and white collection. Beautiful floral prints, bold polka dots and pinstripes feature throughout the collection.

Loved and respected the world over, the brand's tradition of using only the finest quality materials available and its reputation for quality has endured the test of time.

Pringle of Scotland has been credited with the introduction of many innovations, which have gone on to shape fashion collections in argyle pattern cardigans, sweater silhouettes and fitted dresses.

Colour combinations blend classic, early neutrals with new, bolder shades of rust and mustard in the collection for men that’s as much about warmth and comfort as it is about heritage.

Argyle cardigans and woollen jerseys, which have always been firm favourites together with men’s shirts, chinos and denim wear, round off another classic, the Pringle of Scotland winter-warm collection. The Pringle of Scotland collection of accessories has also been inspired by the seasonal themes, to complement the menswear apparel. The collection includes a tartan and argyle range for both men and women, which includes floral and check detailing, all of which references the brand’s heritage.

The collection has been carefully manufactured with suede and leather contrasts with beautiful metal hardware. No collection is complete without warm headwear for winter, which includes beautiful felt hats and knitted beanies for men and women, leather gloves as well as knitted scarves.

Fran Stringer, women’s design director at Pringle, tells the story of growing up during the 1980s in a small town in the north-east of England, where she says the trend of wearing argyle had just hit.

“If you wore a Pringle argyle jumper, you were just about the coolest kid on the block.

“Even if I were to stay here [working at Pringle of Scotland] for 20 years, it’s still such a small moment in time in the long life of this incredible brand. It’s not a responsibility I take lightly – I try every day to learn something new about our history so that I can protect and develop its continuing legacy.”

Today, Pringle of Scotland continues to be a pioneer of British knitwear and a champion of British heritage. In 2015, for its 200th anniversary, Pringle worked with National Museums Scotland to curate an exhibition charting Pringle’s long history within the Scottish knitwear industry and celebrating the relevance of knitwear in contemporary fashion.

It is thanks to Robert Pringle and his humble hosiery manufacturers that knitwear has such a prominent place in the lives and wardrobes of men and women around the world.

- This article was paid for by Pringle.