XO Grey Fox

In the five years or more that I've written this blog one of the greatest pleasures has been discovering the highest quality products from British manufacturers. Begg & Co manufacture (and have done so since 1866 when they wove Paisley shawls) scarves, wraps and throws of the most sublime quality in Scotland from cashmere, silk and lambswool angora.

Their website shows attractive designs for men and women in various weights, sizes and materials; something for everyone. I selected three to try for this review, all cashmere (I was able to keep one, which I'll reveal later) and all are beautifully made. The cashmere is the softest of the soft.

Above: The "Superfine Wispy" cashmere scarf is screen printed with spots and each contains eight kilometres of the finest gossamer cashmere yarn. What can be cooler than having five miles of fine cashmere yarn wound round your neck? It's like having a cloud round the neck. Available in other colours. Very lightweight and soft, this wonderful scarf is ideal for spring and cooler days in summer.

Above: This "Arran" scarf had a beautiful ripple finish and the soft cashmere is more suited to the colder days of winter. It has a subtle vertical half and half design which doesn't show well in my photograph. A real belter of a scarf. Available in other colours.

Above: The "Kishorn" scarf is lightweight, washed and just a little distressed, the ultimate in understated chic. A quite superb scarf to wear with faded denim or to dress down a suit. Ideal as an all the year round scarf. It also happened to contain all my favourite shades of blue and indigo.

Summary

Costing between £260 and £285 these aren't cheap scarves... thankfully. You're paying for beautifully designed, Scottish made products of the very highest quality. This is thick and very soft, fine cashmere; not the mean, harsh stuff sold cheaply in piles in some high street stores. They have been woven and hand-finished by skilled workers who receive fair wages and have huge pride in what they produce. You won't regret buying them; just make sure the moths are kept away. See Begg & Co. who have kindly offered a 10% discount for Grey Fox Blog readers - quote BEGG10OFF at checkout.

I loved all these scarves, but my favourite was the spotty Wispy, whose superfine cashmere makes it ideal as the weather turns warmer. I kept that one, but it was a hard choice with the "Kishorn", also a beauty.

This feature was kindly sponsored by Begg & Co but the content and all views expressed are mine alone.

Savile Rogue make football scarves in cashmere in the colours of the Premier, Champions and many other League teams in England, Wales, Scotland - and other countries as well. There's nothing warmer than cashmere around the neck, so these are a must-have for draughty terraces as winter closes in.

The scarves are Made in Scotland and look just the job for those chilly days supporting the team at home or away. The company is run by true fans; it has been supporting Street League since 2011 and matches donations made by customers to help young people.

I love the idea of some tough Celtic supporter keeping warm on the terraces with a super-soft cashmere scarf.

See their website for more information.

P.S. I saw these scarves in the flesh at the Best of Britannia exhibition this weekend. The quality of the cashmere is superb - beautifully soft and luxurious. They are attractively packaged with vintage-style footballer cigarette cards. I've added a few more pictures below.