365 Days of Fashion: Day 5
What is a jacquard fabric + fun fact about its creation
You are previewing content from 365 days of fashion, our paid newsletter where we send 5 emails/week to teach you something about the fashion industry (history, business, production, fashion terms...)
If you want to keep receiving exclusive content, become a paid member to get access to all 365 days of fashion issues.
Jan 11
Jacquard fabric is a textured fabric that has complex patterns woven into it, rather than printed, dyed, or embroidered on top. Jacquard can be created from any material, like silk, linen, or cotton, among others.
It was inspired by the French weaver Joseph Marie Jacquard who invented his namesake loom in 1804. He worked as a “draw boy”; they were children who were required to lift half their body weight in weaving reeds at a time which would instruct the draw boy on which threads to lift and where to move them. This work done by hand was very dangerous and time-consuming. In addition, since this type of fabric was expensive to produce, only the wealthiest members of society could afford it.
Therefore, Jacquard decided to find a better solution for creating brocade fabrics. The result was a machine that uses a series of punch cards, rather than a draw boy, to guide the loom, telling it which threads to raise at which times in order to create a jacquard weave.
Today, modern fashion designers use electric looms, and because the process of creating jacquard weaves became automated and fast, it allows them to produce bigger quantities of items made of jacquard. The formerly expensive fabric is now available to the masses, and we can find jacquard not only in clothes, but also in furniture, linens, and home décor.
Give this post a like if you would like to receive more similar content ❤️