Where does Boucle come from?

Boucle comes from France, first documented in the early 1900s.

Plate No. 089fabric

A stylized impression of the looped, nubbled yarn.

First documented: early 1900s
Origin: France, France
Fiber: wool, cotton
Weave: woven or knit from looped novelty yarn
Family: knits

Plate No. 089 · fabric

Boucle

Boucle is cloth made from boucle yarn, a novelty thread spun so a loose strand loops continuously around a tight core, throwing a surface of curls and nubs that catches no two points of light the same way. The texture is the entire point, soft, springy, and dimensional, and it can be woven or knit. Its monument is the Chanel suit: Coco Chanel built the collarless boucle tweed jacket into a permanent fixture of fashion, and the nubbled cloth has signified quiet expense ever since.

Illustration: a Paris couture workroom, a collarless nubbled tweed jacket on a dress form, spools of looped yarn and shears on the table, tall windows — A Paris couture workroom, a collarless nubbled tweed jacket on a dress form, spools of looped yarn and shears on the table, tall windows.

Named for

From the French boucle, a curl or loop: the yarn, and so the cloth, is all loops.

Also known as

bouclé

In the record

1950sChanel made the boucle tweed suit a permanent emblem of couture.

Common questions

What is Boucle made of?: Boucle is cloth made from boucle yarn, a novelty thread spun so a loose strand loops continuously around a tight core, throwing a surface of curls and nubs that catches no two points of light the same way. It is traditionally made of wool or cotton.
Where does Boucle come from?: Boucle comes from France, first documented in the early 1900s.
What is Boucle named after?: From the French boucle, a curl or loop: the yarn, and so the cloth, is all loops.