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
