What Is the Stonedale Collection from John Foster?

Stonedale is John Foster's first official collection under its year-round stock support programme, and it is made entirely from 100% Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) accredited wool. It consists of 22 cloths weighing 450 GMS, offered in melange plains, chalk stripes and checks, with colours drawn from the Yorkshire landscape. It is the collection to look at if you want a stock-supported John Foster cloth with a documented sustainability credential, rather than an archive or seasonal piece.

Where Stonedale sits in the John Foster range

John Foster weaves worsted and mohair apparel fabrics at its Yorkshire mill, and its website groups output into a few distinct routes:

Stonedale is the only one of these described as a stock-supported collection, which is the practical distinction: it is intended to be repeatable across the year rather than tied to a single season.

What makes Stonedale "sustainable" here

The claim rests on one verifiable point: the wool is 100% RWS accredited. John Foster presents the collection as "a step in the right direction towards a greener future" — its own framing, not an independent certification of the finished cloth. So the accurate reading is that the fibre input carries a recognised standard, while broader environmental claims about the fabric itself are not detailed on the page.

If RWS sourcing is a requirement in your brief, Stonedale is the collection where that is stated outright. For other collections, the page does not make the same claim, so you would need to ask.

Design and colour inspiration

The 22 cloths take their palette from the Yorkshire landscape, combining two references:

• Industrial skyline colours from cities such as Leeds and Bradford
• The Yorkshire Dales, described as the area's natural counterpart

The result is a classic, capsule-style range rather than an experimental one — melange plains for texture, chalk stripes for definition, and checks for pattern. At 450 GMS the cloth sits in a substantial apparel weight, consistent with worsted and mohair apparel use rather than lightweight seasonal fabric.

How to evaluate it before committing

The site states that full details and swatch sampling are available prior to ordering for Stockroom cloths; for Stonedale, the sensible sequence is:

1. Identify which of the 22 cloths match your colour and pattern brief (melange plain, chalk stripe or check).
2. Request a swatch so you can judge the 450 GMS handle and the melange colour in person — screen rendering of blended shades is unreliable.
3. Confirm current stock support and lead time directly with the mill, since "stock supported" describes the programme, not a published inventory level.
4. If you need something outside the 22 cloths, ask about The Stockroom or The Mill Archive instead — the latter is appointment-only and reserved for trade clients.

Contact for any of these steps: +44 1274 655900 or the email listed on the site. The mill is at Stanley Mills, Edward St, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD4 9RS.

Common sticking points

• Assuming "sustainable collection" means certified fabric. The RWS accreditation applies to the wool; the page does not extend it to the finished cloth.
• Confusing Stonedale with The Stockroom. Both involve stock, but The Stockroom is a mixed warehouse of archive cloth, development pieces and overmakes, while Stonedale is a defined 22-cloth collection.
• Expecting to browse The Mill Archive online. It is an on-site, appointment-only service for trade clients; the cloths are not in production and are not part of the current bunches.
• Treating 450 GMS as a summer weight. It is a substantial cloth; check the intended garment before specifying it for warm-weather use.

The site does not publish prices for Stonedale, so cost and ordering terms need to come from direct contact rather than assumption.