Woman in dress made of Siamoise material 1687

Siamoise is a term for various woven fabric varieties, usually cotton and linen blends, with patterns such as checks and stripes. Siamoise was so named because it imitated clothing worn by 17th century Siamese ambassadors.

History

At first, Siamoise was made with silk in warp and cotton filling yarn. The fabric resembled the clothing of the Siamese (Thai) ambassadors who visited King Louis XIV in 1684 and 1686. That is why the name 'Siamoise' was given to it.

Modifications

Initially, the fabric was a combination of silk and cotton, and the silk warp weakened the material. Replacing the silk with

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 ...

produced a stronger fabric that was highly successful.

Further additions

Since then, Siamoise has undergone many additions such as linen and cotton patterns, varied stripes, and checks and blends of different fibers such as silk and wool.

Influences

The Siamese Embassy to France in 1686 had brought to the Court samples of multicolor Thai '' Ikat'' textiles. These were enthusiastically adopted by the French nobility to become ''Toiles flammées'' or ''Siamoises de Rouen'', often with checkered blue-and-white designs. After the French Revolution and its dislike for foreign luxury, the textiles were named "Toiles des Charentes" or cottons of Provence.McCabe, Ina Baghdiantz (2008) ''Orientalism in Early Modern France'', , Berg Publishing, Oxford, p.222-223

Gallery

File:Siamoise flammee France 18th century.jpg, ''Siamoise flammée'' textile, derived from

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

Ikat, French manufacture, 18th century File:SiameseEmbassyToLouisXIV1686NicolasLarmessin.jpg, upright=1.5, Siamese embassy to Louis XIV led by Kosa Pan in 1686, by Nicolas Larmessin

References