Mulberry Home | Racing Stripe

Racing Stripe takes its name from the world of horses rather than cars, the silks-and-colours stripe of the paddock translated into a woven cotton and jute cloth, which fits neatly with Mulberry's equestrian leanings. The jute gives it a dry, slightly rustic texture and a visible slub; the stripe is woven through rather than printed, so the cloth is the same on both faces, useful for anything that will be seen from more than one side.

The composition is 68 per cent cotton and 32 per cent jute, the width 134 centimetres, with a 33.5 centimetre horizontal repeat, a broad, confident stripe. It is recommended for curtains, loose and fixed upholstery and bedspreads. Four colourways: Denim is the workable everyday blue; Indigo is deeper and more formal; Plum is the one bit of real colour; and Lovat is the tweedy green. Denim is our usual first suggestion, since it sits with almost anything.

We would use it on a bench in a hall or a mudroom, on the outside back and arms of a sofa fronted in a check or a floral, or as unlined curtains in a stable-adjacent boot room, where the equestrian note feels entirely at home. Pair it with Cowdray Stripe, the narrower stripe in the same Stripes II collection. Sold by the half metre; order a sample to see it in your own light.

A making-up note: cut on the stripe rather than the selvedge, since a woven stripe can wander slightly across a length, and match it carefully across any seam or the leading edges of a pair of curtains. Jute does not take kindly to water, so it must be dry cleaned, and curtains in it should be lined to keep the colour from fading.

• Composition: 68% cotton, 32% jute
• Width: 134 cm (53 in)
• Pattern repeat: 33.5 cm horizontal
• Suitable for: Curtains, loose upholstery, fixed upholstery, bedspreads
• Care: Dry clean only; do not wash, bleach or iron
• Collection: Stripes II, Mulberry Home
• Colourways: 4 (Denim, Indigo, Plum, Lovat)