Fabric In Fashion explores the vital role played by textiles in creating Euro-American women’s fashion over the last 250 years. The examination of textiles is often separated from that of the fashionable silhouette, yet historically, textiles were as important as the cut of clothing in keeping up with current fashion. This exhibition will delve into the mechanics of textiles, looking at how fibers and weaves build the materiality of fashion. It will also explore the cultural influence of fabric. The Western world’s demand for fashionable textiles of silk, cotton, wool, and synthetics has had enormous repercussions across the globe.
Fabric In Fashion will highlight both clothing and flat textiles from the museum’s permanent collection, examining how the physical properties of specific fabrics determine the way a piece of clothing interacts with the body, as well as how the design and cultural associations of textiles reveal the social motivations that drive fashion forward. The exhibition is organized by Elizabeth Way, assistant curator of costume.
Polyester, invented in 1941, is strong and lightweight and can be processed to take on different appearances. Here, it mimics silk chiffon. The crinkled texture is set by heat, displaying polyester’s thermoplasticity, or ability to melt. Synthetic fibers are created from man-made polymers (groups of molecules) derived from petroleum and other sources.
White sheer polyester dress with pink polyester organdy rosettes, 2000, Japan. Gift of Hishinuma Associates Co., Ltd. 2001.52.3
This gown’s textile is woven so finely as to be translucent, and the long, smooth silk fibers provide a subtle sheen. Silk is a protein fiber extruded by silk worms, which were first domesticated in China about 7000 years ago. Silk has continued to be highly prized for its luster and strength.
Ivory silk organza overdress with woven pattern of floral sprigs, circa 1825, USA (possibly), Gift of Titi Halle. 2007.41.1
In late 18th- and early 19th-century Europe, cotton was an imported luxury, making it a highly fashionable and expensive material for this dress. The fiber was in common use, however, in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, where the cotton plant had been domesticated by 3500 BCE.
White cotton organdy dress with pink silk satin trim, circa 1830, England. The Museum at FIT. P73.1.3
Delicate, airy fabrics, such as the one used in this sheer dress, are not commonly associated with wool. However, its unique fiber structure makes wool remarkably versatile. It was the first fiber spun and woven by humans, possibly dating back to 10,000 BCE in Western Asia.
Beige leno-weave wool dress with woven silk pattern and floral print, circa 1855, USA. The Museum at FIT. P89.3.10
Taffeta is perfectly chosen for this design: it is thin and pliable enough to accommodate the many gathers at the seam lines, but stiff and light enough to maintain the buoyant bubble shapes. Taffeta is known for its crisp hand, and a rustling sound so distinct that it has its own name: scroop.
Red and black shot silk taffeta “Hermaphrodite” evening dress, spring 1998, USA. The Museum at FIT. 2005.5.1
Schiaparelli utilized faille’s ability to drape in deep folds and fall dramatically around the body. Faille is a medium-weight, ribbed textile in the same weave family as taffeta, a lighter weight ribbed fabric, and ottoman, a heavier version. These three textiles demonstrate that varying the scales of yarn in the same weave changes how fabric drapes on the body.
Red silk faille and pink silk evening gown, circa 1955, France, Gift of Mr. Rodman A. Heeren. 70.57.58
The Han Dynasty in China formalized its trade network to export silk westward by 100 BCE. The routes were collectively known as the Silk Road. Silk cultivation spread across Asia and the Middle East. By the 1200s, European traders regularly imported expensive, handwoven satins, velvets, damasks, and brocades from the Far and Middle East.
Silk weaving also spread to Europe. By the mid-18th century, France, England, and Italy led production, supplementing imports from Asia. Silk textiles signified wealth and aristocratic rank within royal court circles as well as the Catholic Church. Western motifs began to predominate, but Europe’s recurring Orientalist obsession continually referenced Asia’s influence on fashionable silk textiles.
Norman Norell’s evening gown maintains a classic Western silhouette, but is notable for its colorful, sari-inspired silk fabric. Vogue described it as “a water-blue Indian brocade.” Mid-20th- century American fashion designers often took inspiration from “ethnic” textiles as a way to differentiate their designs from Parisian couture.
Multi-colored floral brocade evening dress, circa 1955, USA, Gift of Mildred Morton. 76.113.3
This gown’s colorful brocade fabric was likely hand-woven on a complex draw loom in Europe. The basic silhouette of women’s fashion had not changed significantly since the late 17th century, but by varying a gown’s textiles, colors, trims, and motifs — all showcased on expansive skirts — one could keep current with fashion.
Silk brocaded taffeta robe a l’angalise, circa 1760, England. The Museum at FIT. 2009.11.1
Taffeta (from the Persian taftah) is a simple plain-weave silk. After the 1860s, it could be woven on power looms, making it relatively inexpensive. Here, the taffeta was brightly dyed and served as background to elaborate additions: kimono fabric panels, as well as 18th-century-inspired cockades and a pleated “Watteau” back.
Pink silk taffeta morning robe with Japanese printed and embroidered silk crepe inserts, circa 1870, USA, Gift of Florence Anderson and Mary A. Seymour. 80.1.4
Europeans consumed little cotton cloth before trading companies — like the British East India Company — began importing large quantities during the 17th century. Women’s fashion adopted cotton during the early 18th century.
Britain invaded India in 1757, and under colonization, outlawed cotton manufacturing, forcing Indians to purchase cotton fabric from British mills. During the late 18th century, cheaper raw cotton and mechanized production fueled the Industrial Revolution. Working conditions in the textile factories of northern Europe were infamously hellish, especially for children. In the 19th-century United States, cotton became a dominant cash crop. Cotton agriculture relied on enslaved African Americans, and their population in the American south increased by 500% between 1800 and 1860.
The “silver muslin” fabric in this dress was hand-woven in India. The dress features a transitional silhouette that marks a major fashion shift from previous wider styles. The late 18th-century French fashion for white muslin gowns was inspired by colonial Caribbean styles and was further popularized by Marie Antoinette.
White cotton “silver muslin” round gown embroidered with silver wire, silk taffeta sleeves, 1795–1800, USA (possibly), textile from India. The Museum at FIT. 2018.16.1
French dressmakers were prohibited from selling their own textiles during the early 19th century. Customers bought fabrics at separate retailers, but by mid-century, rules had relaxed, and women began to leave fabric selection to their dressmakers. Taking control of the entire design process helped dressmakers evolve into the modern role of couturier.
During this period, couturiers obtained most of their textiles from Lyon. They followed the fabric trends set by Lyonnais textile designers and also commissioned their own designs. By the mid-20th century, couturiers had begun to incorporate international textiles and experiment with new synthetics.
Cristóbal Balenciaga worked with Swiss textile firm Abraham to develop gazar fabric, a “screen-wire-like transparent stiff silk.” Gazar could be molded, enabling sculptural, yet airy forms. Balenciaga’s style during the 1960s absolutely relied on the qualities of fabrics to achieve his signature architectural, unadorned silhouette, epitomized by this dramatic cape.
Balenciaga, silk gazar evening cape, circa 1962, France. Gift of Mildred S. Hilson. 73.37.17
It is necessary that the apparel of women be completely different from that of men . . . This difference should even extend to the choice of fabrics, and a woman dressed in woolen cloth is less a woman than when she is dressed in a transparent gauze, a light mousseline, or a soft and brilliant silk.
– Auguste Caron, Toilette de dames, ou encyclopédie de la beauté, 1806
During the 19th century, advancing technology in textile production led to a consumer revolution. Overtly luxurious, colorful, or delicate fabrics such as velvet, satin, and tulle were more accessible than ever. Within rapidly urbanizing Western society, textiles became distinctly gendered. Female silhouettes used a greater variety and volume of textiles, and a mushrooming female shopping culture emerged.
This dress is made from a single woven textile that shifts from an ottoman weave into various sizes of looped and cut pile weaves (velvet) that gradually enlarge until they resemble fringe. As innovations such as the jacquard loom and steam power came into industrial use, complex textiles became less expensive.
Pink silk ottoman with ivory silk fringe and novelty silk velvet two-piece dress, circa 1859, USA. The Museum at FIT. P91.23.3
Rendered in an assertive red, Galanos captures much of the sensual femininity of the 19th-century in his satin dress. Both the fabrication and the silhouette mirror the 1860s wedding dress to the left, perhaps speaking to similarly complex ideals of femininity that were popular during the Victorian era and in 1950s America.
Red silk satin cocktail dress with matching horsehair and silk taffeta petticoat, fall 1955, USA. Gift of Barbara Torelli. 95.65.1
Velvet has retained its association with historic women’s fashion. This mini coat dress is undoubtedly representative of 1960s Mod style, yet its rich purple color and revivalist silhouette — high collar, empire waist, and Juliet sleeves — point to a hodgepodge of historic references only enhanced by the moiré-patterned velvet textile.
Purple rayon velvet coat with embossed moiré design, 1968, England. Gift of Helena Hernmarck. 97.98.2
Wool is nature’s smart fiber. Its scaled, multi-layered, crimped fiber structure makes wool flexible, resilient, elastic, flame resistant, easily dyed, and a great insulator. With heat and moisture, it is moldable — the founding principle of tailoring.
Wool textiles accompanied the growth of civilization. Sheep are its main source, but specialty fibers come from many animals. Already a major industry in Mesopotamia by 2500 BCE, wool production thrived in ancient Persia, Greece, and Rome. England’s wool industry dates to about 1900 BCE. By 1660, wool textile exports made up two-thirds of England’s international trade. Nineteenth-century British colonialization created new sources for raw wool, most importantly in Australia and New Zealand.
Ruchika Sachdeva of BODICE won the prestigious 2017-2018 International Woolmark Prize for womenswear. Her design modernizes wool textiles, while incorporating traditional Indian craftsmanship, natural dyes, local Indian production, and sustainability. The International Wool Secretariat, later Woolmark, was created in 1937 to promote and control the quality of Australian merino wool.
Paneled bomber jacket with recycled yarn linear pattern, metallic wool sweater and pants, 2017, India. Gift of Ruchika Sachdeva. 2018.10.1
Photography: Porus Vimadalal. Photo courtesy of BODICE STUDIO.
Double-faced wool is woven almost as two separate textiles, joined by a set of interwoven yarns, and creating a thick, structural, spongy fabric. The textile’s density supports this A-line silhouette, while the wool’s pliability eases the inset of Pop Art circles. The hems were self-finished by opening the layers and stitching the edges to the inside.
Blue double-faced wool coat, 1968, Italy. Gift of Mrs. Donald Elliman. 78.208.1
In contrast to the previous two silhouettes, Azzedine Alaïa embraced the relaxed tailoring of the 1980s. His sculptural overcoat is softly shaped through expert pattern-cutting that wraps around the body at the waist and is gently pleated and flared at the back. Alaïa further illustrates wool’s versatility with dramatic knitted separates.
Red wool broadcloth trench coat ensemble with wool jersey hood, winter 1985, France. Gift of Azzedine Alaïa In Memory of Arthur Englander. 87.3.1
Knitted textiles are created from one continuous yarn — or set of yarns — looped together. Knitting by hand was utilized all over the world for thousands of years, then mechanized in England in 1589; it was industrialized during the mid-19th century. Today, knitting is the fastest way to create textiles and can produce fully-fashioned, whole garments in one automated procedure, eliminating cutting and sewing.
Most knitted textiles stretch to fit the body’s contours, creating possibilities for fit, ease of movement, and performance that were not historically available in woven textiles. With a few exceptions, knitted clothing was not prominent in Western high fashion, outside of undergarments and small accessories, until the 1920s.
This dress is a rare example of early-19th century, knitted high-fashion. Its grid-like pattern of openwork knit is a strikingly modern alternative to lace that takes transparency to the fashionable extreme. Even with under layers, these styles, typically made from sheer cotton muslin or silk gauze, were criticized as immodest and impractical.
White silk, patterned knit jersey empire-waist evening dress with pink fringe and cord, circa 1810, England. The Museum at FIT. P92.2.13
Woolen jersey, seen in the fine-gauge knit of this cardigan suit and the large-gauge knit of the sweater, were synonymous with men’s sports clothing during the 1920s. Lucien Lelong was an early advocate of sportswear for women’s fashion, focusing on streamlined, youthful, and athletic silhouettes that privileged the body in motion.
Black wool jersey suit and black and white wool jersey sweater, circa 1927, France. Gift of Mrs. Georges Gudefin. 80.13.19
European organic chemists began producing rayon, the first man-made fiber, during the mid-19th century. It is made from chemically-processed cellulose, the primary material of plants. American chemical company DuPont began developing synthetic fibers made entirely from petroleum and chemicals in 1926. European and American companies dominated the research and development of synthetic fibers during the 1930s.
Synthetics expanded the affordability and durability of fashionable clothing. During the 1950s, fashion from mass-market to haute couture embraced synthetics. These textiles were ubiquitous throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Essentially plastics, they offered increased performance, new aesthetics, and lowered costs. However, being non-biodegradable, they have significantly damaged the environment, contributing to pollution and climate change.
Miyake’s signature pleats create texture and drama in this ensemble. These heat-set folds, literally melted into place, are only possible with the synthetic fibers and coatings that he blends with natural fibers. Since the Miyake Design Studio’s founding in 1970, Issey Miyake has partnered with textile designer Makiko Minagawa to experiment with innovative synthetics.
Metallic film and cotton blend ruffled cape with coated silk camisole and pants, 1982, Japan. Gift of Jun Kanai. 93.76.82
Romeo Gigli, known for soft, romantic silhouettes, devoted much of his design practice to researching textiles. Gigli commissioned textile designer Nigel Atkinson to create the Edelweiss Smocking velvet in this coat. It recalls historic handcraft, but its texture is rendered through heat-reactive polyurethane ink applied to the back of the fabric.
Ensemble with green coat of rayon/cotton velveteen with polyurethane backing, fall 1991, Italy. The Museum at FIT. P91.53.1
