Textile Glossary: Suiting Motifs The - Fabrics
Tailoring is the source of many creative motifs with their roots in traditional yarn-dyed fabrics. These designs are collectively referred to as “suiting motifs” as they originated in the tailoring world, even though they have since been adapted with great creativity to a variety of fabrics.
Houndstooth
History: The earliest evidence of this motif was found in Scotland, dating back to between 100 and 360 BC. Unlike the richly colored tartans of the aristocracy, houndstooth, made from two-tone wools from white and black sheep, was worn by peasants and shepherds. Simple to make, perfectly balanced and symmetrical without being boring, this pattern of humble origins is one of the most fruitful inventions to emerge from the universe of yarn-dyed motifs. Note: “shepherd’s check” and “pied de puce” are more recent terms for houndstooth.
Technical description: 2/2 twill weave composed of a warp alternating four black yarns and four white yarns, and a weft alternating four black and four white picks, with identical warp and weft yarns.
Characteristics: Like serge, it is a supple fabric rendered relatively softer or coarser depending on the yarn, and features a 45° diagonal pattern.
Product use: Suits, jackets, pants, dresses.
Houndstooth Variations:
GUN CLUB CHECK
History: This pattern came by its name after being adopted by the American Gun Club in 1874.
Technical description: The gun club check is a three- or four-color houndstooth, typically featuring one light hue and two or three alternating dark colors.
Prince of wales
History: Popularized by Edward VIII in the early 20th century, this check was named “Prince of Wales” in his honor.
Technical description: A Prince of Wales is a twill featuring houndstooth patterns in a variety of sizes, arranged in large checks. For example: a houndstooth alternating four warp yarns with four weft yarns, alternating two warp yarns with four weft yarns, four warp yarns with two weft yarns, and two warp yarns with two weft yarns. This gives the effect of large, low-contrast checks. These checks are sometimes crossed by a fine line in a contrasting hue.
Saxony
History: A tweed of German origin (from Saxony), which distinguishes it from the Donegal variety, of Irish origin.
Technical description: Tweed fabric with low-contrast checks, based on a 2/2 twill weave or a 2/2 herringbone.
Characteristics: A supple fabric, more or less coarse depending on the yarn used, with a 45° diagonal design.
Product use: Quits, jackets, pants, dresses, scarves and shawls.
Tartan
History: The word tartan means “woolen fabric” and is specifically used to designate carded wool serge in the richly colored plaid checks associated with Scottish clans. The clan system first appeared in the Highlands around 1070, and clans used these plaid fabrics to represent their identities. The Celts’ mastery of dyes was renowned since antiquity. According to a highly coded, hierarchical feudal system, the number of colors reflected social rank, ranging from two colors for commoners to seven for the king.
Technical description: 2/2 twill with contrasting checks.
Characteristics: Supple fabric, more or less smooth or coarse depending on the yarn used, with a 45° diagonal pattern.
Product use: Suits, jackets, pants, dresses, scarves and shawls, kilts.
Herringbone
History: The herringbone motif has a positive connotation in both heraldry and military distinctions. It is one of the most widely used motifs, frequently adapted in a variety of ways.
Technical description: 2/2 two-toned twill with a broken zigzag diagonal pattern.
Characteristics: Similar to serge twill. Esthetically, a herringbone makes it possible to create a two-tone twill without a traversal diagonal effect.
Product use: costumes, vestes, pantalons, robes, châles.
Tennis stripe
Technical description: Fine white stripes spaced-out on a dark background, created through a two-tone warp effect.
Characteristics: Supple fabric, more or less lightweight depending on the weave density and treatments.
Product use: Pants, suits.
Semi-plain
History: The term “semi-plain” was coined in the textile industry to describe woven effects. A classic tailoring pattern, for a subdued fanciful effect in keeping with the codes of traditional tailoring.
Technical description: Alternating yarns of different colors in the warp and/or weft, in plain weaves, basketweaves and twills.
Characteristics: Tiny, regular motifs that can only be distinguished up close, resembling a plain from a distance.
Product use: Men’s and women’s suits.
END-AND-END: On a twill or plain woven base, with an alternating one-to-one pattern of warp yarns in two different colors, and alternating the same colors with each weft yarn.
CAVIAR or TETE D’EPINGLE or HUCKABACK: Alternating yarns in two different colors on a modified plain weave, forming tiny dots or small circles aligned in straight rows.
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