History-makers since 1850

We changed households forever with the invention of the terry loom in 1850, bringing fluffy, terry cotton towels to the world. Today, we honour the spirit of innovation with new techniques to craft the best fabrics imaginable. 

Our History

1850s

Henry Christy creates the first towel.Henry, son of the established spinners W.M. Christy & Sons, invents the industrial terry loom to spin fluffy towels for the first time in history.

1920s

Ahead of our time.
Christy produces towelling beach wraps and exhibits them at the Toronto National Exhibition, offering something similar to today’s insulating beach robes.

1930s

A riot in print and colour.In a world where towels were only in white, Christy leads the way with a fresh palette possible through new dye innovations to present colourful choices.

1940s

Weaving towels in the War.Shortly after the Christy mills closed during the war, a national shortage of towels paved the way for workers to return, and production moved at pace.

1950s

The great Centenary boom.The epitome of post-war glamour, international British model Barbara Goalen poses in an iconic series of photos, swathed in towels at Christy's Fairfield Mill.

1960s

Embracing the spirit of the 60s.Luxury items like Christy towels settled further into a role based on 'desired, not required' with bold patterns and designs that reimagined home textiles.

1970s

Weaving threads of change.Christy chooses Pierre Cardin to launch a new Polyester/Vincel blend to the market, developed in-house as the next generation of sheeting material.

1980s

A match made in heaven.Christy has made the Wimbledon Championships towels since 1988, proudly designing a new towel every year and becoming part of the fabric of the competition along the way.

2000s

Shaping a new millennia. Christy launches a new bed linen collection to match our luxury towel ranges, with high thread counts, intricate embroidery, and beautifully woven designs.

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Christy Stories

Step into a place where we celebrate and share the beauty of well-crafted, time-honoured home textiles.

OUR BLOG

Christy by Design

Imagined in the UK

Each Christy creation is conceptualised in our Stockport studio, from hand-painted designs to fabric-led pieces.

Expert craftsmanship

As world leaders in cotton textiles, we only partner with renowned craftsmen who share our ethics.

Loved by our customers

We changed the world when we developed the industrial terry loom & we continue to blaze trails in home textiles.

A rich heritage

Christy is a signifier of luxury, starting when Queen Victoria placed an order for her Household in 1850.