Piqué (weaving)

Name

The name piqué is derived from the French word Piquer, meaning 'quilt'; late 18th-century piqué fabrics were considered to imitate a hand-made quilt.

Piqué weave

The weave is closely associated with white tie, and some accounts even say the fabric was invented specifically for this use. It holds more starch than plain fabric, so produces a stiffer shirt front; piqué shirts would go on to replace earlier plain-weave fronts, which remain a valid alternative. Use of piqué then spread to other parts of formal dress code, and it is now the most common fabric used in the tie and waistcoat of white tie dress.

Piqué weaving

Piqué weaving was developed by the Lancashire cotton industry in the late 18th century as a mechanised technique of weaving double cloth with an enclosed heavy cording weft. It was originally used to make imitations of the corded Provençal quilts made in Marseille, the manufacture of which became an important industry for Lancashire from the late 18th to the early 20th century. The term "marcella", another name for piqué, is one of a number of variations on the word "Marseille".

Fabrics

Woven piqué

Piqué fabrics are a type of dobby construction. Piqués may be constructed in various patterns such as cord, waffle, honeycomb and birdseye. These fabrics require the addition of extra yarns, called stuffer yarns. These stuffer yarns are incorporated into the back of the fabric to give texture and added depth to the fabric design. Some piqués may be made using the Jacquard attachment on the loom. Although made of 100% cotton today, cotton-silk blends and even pure silk versions were made in the past and in a variety of weaves.

References

References

1. Nielson, Karla J.. (2007-07-10). "Interior Textiles: Fabrics, Application, and Historic Style". John Wiley & Sons.
2. Montgomery, Florence M.. (1984). "Textiles in America 1650-1870 : a dictionary based on original documents, prints and paintings, commercial records, American merchants' papers, shopkeepers' advertisements, and pattern books with original swatches of cloth". New York; London : Norton.
3. Atkins, Jacqueline M.. (2001). "From lap to loom: The transition of Marseilles white work from hand to machine". The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc.
4. (1996). "The Textiles Handbook". Plycon Press.