[MR] cotton

[David W. James]

On Wednesday, October 29, 2003, at 08:41  AM, Mistress Margret wrote:
> This quote from Queen Elizabeth does make the cotton issue easy for me,
> at least - if Queen Elizabeth considered cotton so rare she wasn't
> worthy to wear it,  then it was obviously too rare and fine for me.

> Yes, cotton was known and available in parts of our period.  But it
> wasn't common.

> Margret

Note that there are other reasons for her opinion than that cotton as 
cotton was rare and fine.  It could have been the quality of the 
embroidery on it.  It could have been that that particular piece of 
fabric was exceptionally fine (like silk, wool and linen, not all 
cotton fabrics are created equal.)  Or she could have simply been 
practicing politics; a courteous way to accept a gift one feels is too 
ugly (or unfashionable, or the wrong size) to wear.

But your closing statement is certainly true.  But linen and wool 
aren't as common today as they were in period either (mostly due, of 
course, to the availability of cheap cotton...)

David/Kwellend-Njal