Looking for information about Shetland's tweeds

2019 is going to be An Exciting Year! There are the usual goings-on at the studio, but also music, and fashion, and the next stage of the tweed research project.

It is the latter which you, good readers, may be able to help with. I am keen to learn more about the tweeds produced in the isles from the late nineteeth century until now. We know that Shetland used to make beautifully soft and wonderfully drapeable cloth, and we have a small sample of fabric for jackets made out of Shetland woollen-spun yarn. I am asking if anyone has any recollections of wearing or using Shetland tweed and for what purpose, or if there are any pieces out there in the world which are particularly soft and fine. All help would be most appreciated...