I just discovered that King William III of England was actually William of Orange - Dutch royalty who became King of England in 1688. So when textile conservators are examining his 300-year-old undershirt made from the finest Holland linen, it's not just luxury - it's a Dutch prince wearing textiles from his homeland while ruling England.

I'm geeking out over the 170-180 threads per inch achieved by hand in 1700. That thread count is extraordinary for any era, but doing it with hand-spun linen? Revolutionary.

Plus the provenance is wild: royal hand-me-downs were literally employee benefits for the king's personal attendants. This shirt went from William III to his Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Henry Watkins (whose initials "HW 10" are embroidered on it - his 10th shirt!).

The personal becomes political, the textile becomes narrative, and watching conservation become detective work is absolutely captivating.

Will Works Studios - Where craft meets story

What's the oldest piece in your wardrobe? Hit reply and tell me about it.