When you hear jacquard, you often think of a knitted sweater with a checkered pattern... yet today, this term refers to many very different fabrics, both woven and knitted.
So, ready to discover these fabrics? Let’s go!
Definition
The term jacquard fabric covers fabrics whose pattern was not created by printing (or dyeing) but by weaving or knitting. These fabrics are known for their beauty, diversity, and also because they are considered more refined textiles.
These fabrics can feature very simple patterns (like geometric shapes, polka dots...) but also extremely complex designs such as landscapes, portraits... imagine the number of different thread colors needed to achieve this feat!
A bit of history
The word jacquard is of French origin, more precisely from Lyon. It dates back to the 19th century, when in 1801, Joseph-Marie Jacquard created this revolutionary machine: the Jacquard loom.
This mechanical loom aimed to speed up production but also to reduce child labor. You can imagine that this machine was not well received by families whose livelihood depended solely on textile work. Thus, in 1831, the canuts (the name given to the silk workers) revolted. This canut revolution marked the first popular uprisings of the industrial era.
Despite these revolts, the Jacquard loom became the standard. At the time, the loom included a punched card system that allowed the pattern to be created. This is still the case today if you knit and want to make a jacquard sweater—you will need to follow the stitch chart.
Today, the Jacquard loom still closely resembles this first 1801 version, although the design technique has been greatly modernized with the use of computers.
And today?
Nowadays, jacquard (woven) is highly appreciated especially in decoration for rich draperies, cushions, to cover armchairs... but the fashion sector increasingly uses this beautiful material, both woven and knitted. We see more and more jackets, dresses, skirts, shorts, and tops in lovely jacquards. Accessories are not left out, as jacquard bags and clutches are very chic and trendy.
You can also find many modern and trendy jacquard knits with patterns that are a radical departure from traditional diamond motifs.
Points to consider
Jacquard is a weaving and knitting method. This also means that jacquard can be woven from different materials: cotton, polyester, linen, wool, silk… It is therefore very important to check which materials are used to make the fabric, both for ecological reasons and for your wallet.
Second point to consider: a jacquard has a pattern on both the front and the back since it is colored throughout. The back is often the negative of the front. If someone tries to sell you a fabric "called jacquard" with a background of a different or solid color, walk away... Consider yourself warned...
There you go, I hope you now know a little more about jacquard, this beautiful and noble material.
