All posts tagged: terminology

Terminology: what are ikat, abr, warp-printing and chine?

Ikat (also spelled ikkat), abr (also spelled ebru), warp-printed and chine (or chine a la branche) are different names for variants of the same technique: fabric woven from yarns which have been pre-dyed (using a resist method) or printed with the intended pattern, producing a characteristic soft, blurred pattern once the yarns are woven into a cloth. Strictly speaking, ikat and abr are created by pre-dying the threads with a resist dye method before weaving, and chine and warp-printing are created by printing the warp threads before weaving, though the line between the two different techniques, both in which fabrics are called which, and in how the fabrics are produced, is as blurred as those on the fabrics they describe. Ikat is the Indonesian term (from the Malay mengikat ‘to bind’), and is the most commonly heard name for the fabric in modern times. 18th century fashion enthusiasts will know the French name, chine or chine a la branche, which specifically refers to multi-coloured warp-patterned fabric, and Pompadour silk, a later English term for the …

Terminology: Marmottes and the Savoyarde style

Published by The Dreamstress

A few weeks ago, when I wrote about the difference between kerchiefs, buffonts & fichus, I posted a picture of a ‘fichu en marmotte.’ We had a bit of discussion about what a fichu en marmotte actually meant, and why it was called a marmotte, and where the term might have come from. I was pretty sure that a marmotte actually referred to a marmot, but did the headscarf and the rodent have anything to do with each other, and why? Being me, I kept wondering about marmots and marmottes, and kept digging and researching, and I am pleased to say I have figured out why a fichu en marmotte is en marmotte. It turns out that fichus en marmotte are named after marmots, in a roundabout way. In the 17th & 18th century peasants from the alpine region of Savoy would train marmots and dance with them as street entertainment. Yes. You read that right. 18th century. Streets of Paris. Dancing groundhogs. DANCING GROUNDHOGS. Basically they were a precursor to the more-famous organ …

Terminology: Buffons, Fichu, Neckerchief, Handkerchief

Published by The Dreamstress

One of the questions that has come up in 18th & early 19th century costuming is what to call the ubiquitous scarves/neck-fillers. Are they handkerchiefs? Fichus? Neckerchiefs? And when did each term arise? A handkerchief was a large square of fabric folded into a triangle, or cut and sewn as a triangle, worn around the neck throughout the 18th century. If you were upper class, your handkerchief would probably be white. Poorer woman were more likely to wear darker handkerchiefs that would show less dirt. George Eliot describes Adam Bedes mother at the end of the 18th century with “her broad chest covered with a buff handkerchief.” Handkerchiefs were not limited to women – men wore then as bohemian alternatives to cravats and stocks. They could be of linen or silk, or later cotton. For men and women, silk versions were the dressiest. They were frequently embroidered, and could be bought pre-made, but even the very wealthy frequently made their own, as the decorative finishes were considered appropriate needlework for a gentlewoman. Neckerchiefs were …