Where does Foulard come from?

Foulard comes from France, first documented in the 1700s.

Plate No. 092fabric

The neat tossed motif of the classic necktie.

First documented: 1700s
Origin: France and South Asia, France
Fiber: silk
Weave: lightweight twill, printed
Family: dots

Plate No. 092 · fabric

Foulard

Foulard is a light, soft silk twill carrying a small, neat, evenly spaced printed motif, usually a tidy geometric or tossed figure on a dark ground. It is the cloth of the necktie and the pocket square, where the small repeat reads as texture at conversation distance and as pattern up close. The word first meant the silk scarf itself before it named the cloth, and foulard prints, the medallions and pin-figures of classic menswear, remain a synonym for understated tailored pattern.

Illustration: a gentlemens necktie cutters bench, folded printed silk squares and a half-made tie, a wooden press, warm lamp light — A gentlemens necktie cutters bench, folded printed silk squares and a half-made tie, a wooden press, warm lamp light.

Named for

From the French foulard, a silk neckerchief, possibly via Provencal foulat, milled or fulled.

Common questions

What is Foulard made of?: Foulard is a light, soft silk twill carrying a small, neat, evenly spaced printed motif, usually a tidy geometric or tossed figure on a dark ground.
Where does Foulard come from?: Foulard comes from France, first documented in the 1700s.
What is Foulard named after?: From the French foulard, a silk neckerchief, possibly via Provencal foulat, milled or fulled.