SOURCE: PREMIER VISION APRIL 2025
The Evolution of the Shirting Fabric
For centuries, the crisp white shirt was a symbol of privilege and status. With the Industrial Revolution, fashion became more accessible, and new patterns such as stripes and checks entered everyday wardrobes.
These designs are created with dyed yarns: alternated with white threads in the warp to form stripes, or in both warp and weft to create checks. Today, this process—known as yarn-dyeing—is the standard in shirting fabrics, offering limitless possibilities and giving rise to iconic patterns still used worldwide.
By the mid-20th century, the shirt had become a canvas for both tradition and innovation. In 1950s America, the bold Hawaiian shirt captured the spirit of post-war leisure, contrasting with the more formal yarn-dyed options. The 1970s saw printed shirts reflect societal change: women embraced masculine cuts with striking patterns, while the counterculture popularised unisex “flower power” styles as symbols of passive resistance. By the 1980s, as long-haul travel grew, exotic prints flourished—echoing the rise of surf and skate culture.
Even today, shirts continue to express the tension between formality and leisure, city and countryside, through the interplay of yarn-dyed fabrics and bold prints.
Iconic Shirting Fabrics
From timeless checks to bold stripes, shirting fabrics carry stories of culture, craftsmanship, and fashion history. Each pattern has its own origins and techniques, reflecting shifts in society, style, and technology. Explore the fabrics that have shaped wardrobes across centuries.
Vichy
History: Originating in Malaysia and brought to Europe in the 17th century by Dutch and English traders, this checked cotton fabric soon spread across the continent. The French, particularly in the Vichy region, adopted it enthusiastically, with Empress Eugénie helping cement its place as a timeless fashion fabric.
Technical details: Characterised by evenly spaced two-tone checks on plain-weave cotton.
Uses: Ideal for shirts, dresses, and trousers—especially in spring and summer collections.
Alternative – Zephyr: A very lightweight cotton canvas featuring two-tone checks or stripes. Larger white yarns frame the coloured stripes, giving a fresh, airy look.
Madras
History: Madras fabric takes its name from the Indian city where it was first woven, combining a silk warp with a cotton weft. Carried to the Caribbean in the late 18th century, it was soon adapted into pure cotton. In 1848, it gained deep cultural significance as a symbol of freedom for emancipated slaves. Today, Madras remains a proud feature of traditional Creole dress and identity.
Technical details: A yarn-dyed fabric with brightly coloured, irregular checks woven on a plain weave background.
Uses: Popular for clothing and accessories, including shirts, dresses, scarves, and handkerchiefs.
Tattersall
History: Originating in late 18th-century England, this pattern takes its name from Richard Tattersall, founder of London’s renowned horse market. Closely linked to equestrian traditions, it soon became a staple of country style.
Technical details: A twill fabric featuring a check of fine, evenly spaced lines in two colours—commonly black and beige or brown and beige—set against a cream background.
Uses: Classic in shirts and cardigans, Tattersall remains a timeless design bridging casual and refined looks.
Dobby
History: First developed in the mid-19th century, the dobby loom revolutionised weaving by allowing subtle decorative effects to be introduced into yarn-dyed fabrics.
Technical details: A shirting fabric characterised by small, regular, and symmetrical motifs—resembling simplified jacquards—created through weave variations on a dobby loom using dyed yarns.
Uses: A refined choice for shirts, adding discreet texture and detail to classic styles.
Bayadere
History: Inspired by the vibrant costumes of India’s devadasi dancers, this striped motif was first brought to Europe by the Portuguese, who called it bailadera (“dancer”). The French later adopted the name bayadère, and it quickly became a popular textile pattern.
Technical details: Horizontal, multicoloured, and often irregular stripes, created with dyed yarns and variations in weave structure.
Uses: Seen in shirts, dresses, sarongs, and shawls—though the stripes are often placed vertically for a striking effect.
Bengale
History: This stripe pattern takes its name from the striking striped turbans worn by the lancers of the British Indian Army (1858–1921), later immortalised in Henry Hathaway’s 1935 film The Lives of a Bengal Lancer.
Technical details: A balanced pattern of alternating white and coloured stripes, each 5–6 mm in width.
Uses: A versatile choice for shirts and dresses, offering a bold yet elegant look.
Alternatives:
Candy Stripes: Narrow alternating white and coloured stripes, each 2–3 mm wide.
Cabana (Awning) Stripes: Wide alternating white and coloured stripes, each broader than 6 mm
