Diary

Everyone knows gingham. Before being used in fashion, the famous two-tone check fabric was used to make aprons, tablecloths and napkins. For the past few seasons, it has been making a comeback on the catwalk. Here is the history of gingham, a fabric that has not yet finished enchanting us.

Gingham, a simple cotton fabric  

What appeals most about gingham is its simplicity. A checkered cotton fabric, made by intertwining a white and a colored thread, available in many colors, and allowing multiple interpretations. That's all it takes to become a classic!  

The origins of gingham 

Gingham fabrics exist all over the world, but gingham is French. To find its origin, we must go back to the nineteenth century, under Napoleon III. At that time, the textile industry is flourishing. The spinning mills are running at full speed to meet the needs of high society, which likes to dress pieces requiring large yards of fabric. The Emperor Napoleon III took advantage of his travels to visit the textile factories. The city of Vichy, in the Allier, is part of his holiday resort. In 1863, he took advantage of a stay in the region to visit the Grivats spinning mill, located near Vichy. 

The factory had already been producing this cotton fabric for about 40 years. The Empress Eugenie found that the fabric would be perfect for making some pretty cloths. She left with trunks full of this fresh cotton fabric, which is now known as gingham. For the elegant women in search of novelty, there was no question of missing this find. Very quickly, it caught on, in France and abroad. But, like all trends, gingham went out of fashion. At the beginning of the 20th century, it found its utilitarian vocation, in the kitchen, for making tablecloths, tea towels, aprons and napkins.

Gingham in the movies, a fabric that makes an impression 

Over the past century, many actresses have contributed to the popularity of gingham. It began in 1939 with Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, in which she wore a delightful blue gingham apron dress. As an aside, this dress, thought to be lost for forty years, was finally found in a box destined for garbage. After being authenticated, it was sold at auction in 2015, for the modest sum of 1.47 million euros! Not bad for a little unpretentious absorbent cotton!

Gingham has made many other appearances in film, most notably in The Philadelphia Story in 1940. Katharine Hepburn wears it in the form of a long belted dress, designed by the designer Adrian. In 1944, the very young Lauren Bacall made her film debut in a very tight gingham suit, in The Port of Anguish. A few years later, in 1959, it is dressed in a blue gingham petticoat that Brigitte Bardot dances in Voulez-vous danser avec moi ? Ten years later, it was Jane Birkin's turn to stroll nonchalantly around La Piscine, in a white and black gingham mini dress.  

Brigitte Bardot and gingham 

We can't talk about gingham without mentioning the most famous French star of the 60s: Brigitte Bardot. The actress contributed a lot to popularize the gingham, wearing it in the city as in the cinema. Between her and the fabric, it was a love story that began in 1953, the year the young actress made the cover of Elle magazine in a pink gingham dress. She wears gingham again on her wedding day in 1959. The pattern of her wedding dress, signed Jacques Esterel, is published in Elle magazine the day after the ceremony. This is the beginning of the great gingham years. French women wanted to imitate the most popular actress of the moment, and, like her, have a few pieces of gingham in their wardrobe. 

Azzedine Alaïa and gingham 

In the early 90s, interest in gingham has long since fallen. It will make a comeback through the Parisian brand Tati and the designer Azzedine Alaïa. Since its creation in 1948, Tati has had as its logo the four blue letters of its name, placed on a pink gingham background with large checks. The designer takes the large checkered gingham and transforms it into a short jacket, corsair, tight skirt and daring shorts. For the first time, haute couture rubs shoulders with a very popular brand that brings a glamorous and trendy touch. The fashion world flocked to Tati to discover the gingham pieces of the brand new Alaïa collection. Elle magazine gave it a double page spread, which mixed the designer's creations with pieces taken directly from Tati's shelves. 

Gingham, more gingham, always gingham

Since then, the fresh cotton fabric has continued to make regular inroads into fashion, notably at Versace and Alexis Mabille. More recently, at Christopher Kane, Fendi, Michael Kors ..., and also in ready-to-wear brands and major retailers, Sezane and Zara, among others.