With This Ring: March 23, 2018

10 With This Ring
FINE FABRIC
Brocade
Brocade is a rich woven fabric
characterised by raised designs
of the same or contrasting
colours.
The name brocade is derived from the Italian “broccato”
meaning “embossed”. Dating back to the Middle Ages,
the shuttle-weaving technique creates the fabric from
the usual warp and weft threads, but an additional
supplementary weft gives the appearance of an
embroidered pattern on top.
Brocade made of silk was one of the few luxury fabrics
worn by nobility throughout China, India, Japan and
Persia. In the Renaissance, trade between Italy and other
European countries with the east, brought both the silk
and brocade techniques to the west.
The complexity of the silk weaving looms and the
resulting quality of the silk made Italy the manufacturer
of the finest fabrics in Europe by the 16th century. The
fashions of the day paired perfectly with the luxury and
elegance of brocade, damask and other jacquard patterns.
Motifs initially remained Oriental, but over time Italy
developed its own designs that were further embellished
with precious stones and silver and gold thread.
Modern brocades can still be silk, but are now
predominantly manmade fibres that are less expensive to
make and to buy. Brocade fabrics are mostly produced for
upholstery and draperies and used for stage and theatre
costumes that require lustre. However, the use of brocade
for evening and formal clothing has been at the mercy of
fashion changes for centuries.
Brocade was extremely popular in the 1950s and 1960s
for luxurious-looking wedding dresses and formal
ballgowns, complementing the classic styles of the day to
perfection. The resurgence of these retro styles has revived
interest in elegant fabrics like damask and brocade for
weddings, including waistcoats for the groom.