Tulle

Tulle is the finest of the nets: a stiff, lightweight mesh of tiny openings, more air than thread, named for the French town where the handmade net trade flourished. The machine that defined it was John Heathcoat's bobbinet machine of 1808, which twisted threads into a hexagonal net no loom could make and turned net from a luxury handcraft into an industry. Tulle is the cloth of ballet: layered by the dozen it becomes the romantic tutu, and a single layer over a bride's face is simply called illusion.

Illustration: a ballet company wardrobe room in the 1880s, layered white tutus hung in rows on high racks, a seamstress at a distance by a tall window, morning light through the net — A ballet company wardrobe room in the 1880s, layered white tutus hung in rows on high racks, a seamstress at a distance by a tall window, morning light through the net.

Named for

Named for the town of Tulle in central France, an early center of the handmade net trade.

In the record

1808John Heathcoat patented the bobbinet machine, mechanizing the twisted hexagonal net.

Common questions

What is Tulle made of?: Tulle is the finest of the nets: a stiff, lightweight mesh of tiny openings, more air than thread, named for the French town where the handmade net trade flourished. It is traditionally made of silk, nylon, or polyester.
What is Tulle named after?: Named for the town of Tulle in central France, an early center of the handmade net trade.