Shawl

As the fashion in dress changed in the 19th century, so did the shape of the shawl. The wide crinoline skirts of the 1850s and 1860s were not suited to wearing under a coat and so a large, rectangular shawl became the outdoor wear for fashionable women.

Norwich continued to be an important centre of shawl production but was seriously challenged by the manufacturers of Paisley in Scotland, who managed to undercut Norwich prices. Competition was so great that in 1842 the Government agreed to allow the patenting of shawl designs to give the manufacturers protection for 3, 6, or 9 months while their design was popular. Edinburgh had tried to concentrate on the luxury end of the shawl market but did not survive the challenge posed by Paisley, and production ceased by 1847.