Unraveling Boucle: A challenging yet forgiving fabric

摘要

My love affair with boucle began almost 30 years ago, when I constructed my first jacket. In the years since, I have found it to be the most amazing fabric. If my stitching is not perfect, only I know, as boucle's texture hides it. When I travel and pack a boucle dress in a compression bag, I can pull it right out and put it on and it looks like new, no ironing required. My comfort is always assured, as boucle has amazing drape and molds beautifully to the figure. During many years living in the American Midwest, with its distinct winter season, I could be cozy in wool-based boucles. Now, living year-round in a warm climate, I can still enjoy boucle with a cotton base. No wonder Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel fell in love with boucle, as well. At least one garment made with boucle is still included in every Chanel seasonal collection. The earliest form of boucle was produced by the Linton Tweeds company in Carlisle, England. ("Linton Tweeds," by Claire Shaeffer in Threads #170, Dec. 2013/Jan. 2014, delves extensively into the company's history.) Chanel was introduced to the company in the 1920s and "an association began, which has flourished over the years resulting in the house of Chanel being Linton's biggest and most prestigious customer," according to "History of Linton Tweeds" at LintonTweeds.com.