Toile Part 1: Zoo Land

1. What is Toile and 2. why do I care?  To answer your second question first, you may not care so keep reading to find out. As for the first question, I am so glad you asked. The word “toile,” pronounced twall, has several meanings because like many words that have been around for ages, the term has evolved over time. Toile simply means fabric in French and could refer to the type of cheap thin fabric that dressmakers used to create their prototypes before cutting up the good stuff. For the purposes of clothing and home décor today, however, toile refers to repeating pastoral prints in a 1700s style of illustration.  Before we can understand why this design element has stood the test of time, we must go back to its origins. 

European cloth with printed designs was a thing of beauty and could be quite costly, there was just one problem, as of the 1600s, Europeans had not discovered a way to make the designs withstand washing. So fashionistas of the day had to choose between being dressed to the nines or having clean clothes. It was a tough call indeed. Then trade with India opened up. India not only had the perfect climate to grow an abundance of cotton for making fabric, but had also discovered a way to preserve printed designs through the use of metal and salt fixatives. 

Suddenly you could have it all, clean clothes that were also beautiful and made of breathable fabric. The demand grew so much that certain Europe countries placed a ban on all imported cotton for fear that it would ruin their own fabric industries. Undeterred by the rule of law, black markets sprang up and people continued to buy this illegal ware even in the face of public attacks and humiliation. Several reports from the time indicate that women were attacked for wearing printed cottons and had their dresses torn from their bodies. And yet, the style persisted. That is a level of commitment, I'm not sure I could have to any clothing style or print.

Although we think of toile, that is to say cotton or canvas fabric with a pastoral print classically in red, blue, or black on a white or unbleached background, as a French creation, it actually began in Ireland in the 1700s and then spread in popularity to England, France, and the rest of Europe. One reason for this is that France lifted its ban on Indian fabric in 1759 during the reign of King Louis XV. Louis XV is well known for having one of the most lavish courts not just in France but in all of history. With the flood gates open on imported goods and the money flowing from the aristocracy to buy them, it wasn't long before textile manufacturers discovered the secrets to Indian printed fabrics and then began to improve upon them. 

Jouy-en-Josas became the most prolific producer of toile fabric under the direction of German designer Christoph-Phillippe Oberkampf. Oberkampf discovered his own technique for creating colorfast prints, further refined the process by using engraved metal plates for his prints which could achieve far finer details than the previous wood block method. Embraced by the French court and the likes of Marie-Antoinette who although Austrian born and French executed, set the standard for much of what is considered to be classical French culture even today. More on that in another post. As the designs grew in popularity, the use of this style as a method of storytelling also emerged. Today what we see in toile prints can be anything from the classical pastoral scenes to more modern whimsical designs such as this Zoo Land print from ChicWish.

Now, if you have read this far and decided that you really don't care about Toile or learning anymore, then you may want to skip the next two posts because this print set up permanent residence in my heart many years ago and I am delighted to share not only my latest acquisitions in toile, but also the history behind it. So, toile has found a place in your heart too, join me here again for parts 2 and 3 in this series.

Shopping Info: ZOO LAND PRINT CUTOUT CHIFFON MIDI DRESS-$60 from Chicwish

References:  

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/history-comes-home-the-story-of-toile-stsetivw-vs~156418

https://fabriclore.com/blogs/fabric-wiki/information-about-toile-fabric

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/toile-de-jouy-what-is-toile-a-brief-history-and-toile-fabric-care-guide