Expanded sensory understanding of textiles often emphasises the role of touch. Far less frequently acknowledged is recognition of the olfactory properties of cloth. In historical examples, such as Harris Tweed and Imperial Muslin, scent offered one way to authenticate (and manipulate) associations with a textile’s production methods or origins. In literary sources, the scent of textiles can indicate an unreliable narrator – palpable only to some – or act as a powerful reminder of bodily intimacy. In contemporary examples, artists such as Ernesto Neto and Doris Salcedo deploy scent for the emotional resonance it can evoke, but viewers’ accounts of their olfactory experiences often vary dramatically. Together these examples exemplify the underestimated presence of scent in textiles, but also pose considerable challenges when attempting to capture what is arguably the most subjective and ephemeral of the senses.

upcoming lecture at Sensing and Touching Virtuality (July 2–4, 2025 Bochum, Germany)