A TALE OF TWO CLANS
Baird McNutt was born when two great Irish clans teamed up: the Bairds, who founded a linen mill in 1912, and the McNutts, who were renowned for their weaving expertise. This partnership has resulted in the finest linen fabrics (which you’ll find in our shirts, shorts, suits and pants) from a country already famous for them. Baird McNutt’s linen is still dyed in its original facilities using techniques first established in Ireland centuries ago.
“We [the McNutt family] joined forces with the Bairds, who had been making handkerchief linen all their lives. That’s where the whole thing bloomed, because they had the capability of making huge, long runs of linen, and we had a very good design background.” — Peter McNutt, designer
THE SECRET FAMILY RECIPE
In fact, a large part of Baird McNutt’s reputation rests upon its unique ability to create brilliant, true-white linen—far superior to the yellower tones you’d get from lesser producers. But when asked, Peter was tight-lipped about the details, saying only that “there’s an old secret in it.”
There’s no one else in the world that makes its white linen like we do. It’s a very, very old method—it dates back hundreds and hundreds of years. In that big pot [above], there would be 10,000 yards of fabric.