Pleated linen is a form of processing

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

which results in a fabric which is heavily

pleated A pleat (plait in older English) is a type of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place. It is commonly used in clothing and upholstery to gather a wide piece of fabric to a narrower circumference. Pleats are cat ...

and does not crease like normal linen fabric.

History

Pleated linen of queen Neferu MET DP274925

The earliest form of pleated linen dates from ancient Egypt and can be seen in a garment known as the

Tarkhan dress The Tarkhan Dress, named for the Tarkhan cemetery south of Cairo in Egypt where it was excavated in 1913, is an over 5000 year old linen garment that was confirmed as the world's oldest piece of women's clothing. The dress coded UC28614B is curr ...

, which is over 5000 years old and is believed to be one of the oldest dresses in existence. Other examples of pleated linen from ancient history include pleated linen from the tomb of queen Neferu. The Museum of Fine Arts,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

has in its collection four excellently preserved pleated linen dresses, all found in 1902-1903 by

George A. Reisner George Andrew Reisner Jr. (November 5, 1867 – June 6, 1942) was an American archaeologist of Ancient Egypt, Nubia and Palestine. Biography Reisner was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His parents were George Andrew Reisner I and Mary Elizabeth ...

at the cemetery of

Naga ed-Deir Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...

in Egypt. It is not known exactly how the Egyptians pleated linen, but the material may have been "folded, accordion style, then tied, and wetted."

Modern use

In the 1950s the Irish fashion designer,

Sybil Connolly Sybil Connolly (24 January 1921 – 6 May 1998) was a Dublin-based fashion designer who was known for creating fashion from Irish textiles, including finely pleated linen, wools such as Báinín, Limerick and Carrickmacross lace, and later for ...

, developed a method of hand-pleating linen with the handkerchief linen manufacturer

Spence Bryson Spence Bryson is a Northern Irish textile company which manufactures and distributes linen and linen products. History Spence Bryson was founded as Spence, Bryson & Co. Ltd in 1885 by John Bell Bryson and Thomas Henry Spence in Portadown, Coun ...

. Handkerchief linen is a light form of linen, and this pleating process used 9 yards of the material to create 1 yard of pleated linen. The pleating of the fabric meant that unlike other linen garments, ones made with pleated linen were uncrushable, could be packed without becoming creased and maintained their shape. First Lady

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...

selected a pleated linen creation by Sybil Connolly when she sat for an official

Aaron Shikler Aaron Abraham Shikler (March 18, 1922 – November 12, 2015) was an American artist noted for portraits of American statesmen, such as the official portrait of John F. Kennedy, and celebrities such as Jane Engelhard and Sister Parish. Early li ...

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

portrait in 1970. Sybil was reportedly very protective of her pleating method, saying it was a secret she would “carry to the grave.”

Gallery

File:Green Pleated Linen Dress, 'Irish Moss' by Sybil Connolly - Full Length Back.jpg, A moss-green pleated linen evening dress with three-quarter length sleeves and a round high neckline. Designed by Sybil Connolly. File:Grey Linen Pleated Dress designed by Sybil Connolly - Full Length Back.jpg, Grey pleated dress designed by Sybil Connolly. File:Maquette for First Love.jpg, Maquette for a pleated linen cream evening gown named 'First Love' by Sybil Connolly File:Heiress dress 1957 by Sybil Connolly - Full Length Front.jpg, Pleated linen 'Heiress' dress 1957 by Sybil Connolly File:Heiress dress 1957 by Sybil Connolly - Ruffle detail.jpg, 'Heiress' dress 1957 by Sybil Connolly - Ruffle detail File:Lavender evening gown by Sybil Connolly.jpg, Lavender evening gown in pleated linen with 3/4 length sleeves and a frilled neckline by Sybil Connolly

References

{{fabric Woven fabrics

History

Modern use

Gallery

See also

References