Early brocades were made with silver and gold to give the material a truly royal look. on the loom, brocades are woven on the loom with several different weft yarns, This is primarily because other jacquard fabrics, such as damask, are reversible, whereas brocade fabric is not the back of brocade often features floating threads. Tracing their origins back to ancient China and Byzantium, both brocade and damask fabrics were originally hand woven on jacquard looms and were primarily constructed of silk. Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made of colored silks and with or without gold and silver threads. Eventually, the knowledge behind silk making spread further and, by the Late Middle Ages, Italy had become the main producer of expensive brocade fabrics, with monarchs and nobility from across Europe coveting luxurious Italian silk brocade for their opulent clothing. Brocade fabric remained reasonably popular among the European nobility throughout the Late Middle Ages, and this textile enjoyed a major revival in Renaissance Italy. Home Articles A History of Damask and Brocade Fabrics. The yarns are cut away in cutwork and broch. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The popularity of brocade then continued to grow throughout Europe, and it is still very popular today. Ancient brocade was made by hand on conventional looms. While it may not be the most practical choice for modern clothing, brocade is an elegant, statement-making option for upholstery, pillows and curtains. The use of precious and semiprecious stones in the adornment of brocades is not common but has been replaced with the use of sequins and beading as decoration. But it was the introduction of brocade in the 16th century that really changed the way curtains were viewed. Richly decorative, this fabric has been used for centuries to adorn refined evening wear, costumes, tapestries, and fascinating pieces of upholstery. global capital of wool production, but many Australian wool producers ship their raw material or yarn to Chinese factories for finishing. However, if you do know a thing or two about wearing brocade dress styles, you will certainly look a lot more like a celebrity every time you slip into a brocade outfit. Brocade When ironing, do not use high temperatures. Advertisement. However, you should be aware that brocade often shrinks when its wet because of the complicated pattern. Copyright 2022 Treasurie. This can make threads break and ultimately damage the pattern and the garment itself. This amazing design ran on cards that duplicated patterns from the cards onto the cloth. Silky slip dresses, for example, must stay lightweight and satiny to maintain the style.