Imagine a world where the buying and selling of a printed cotton cloth can get you fined/jailed/executed, but the buying and selling of human beings is perfectly fine. We humans are very strange.
And let's not forget how the East India Company destroyed the textile industry of Bengal, India, in order to protect textile Mills in Manchester. These draconian policies led to widespread famine, killing hundreds of thousands, and compelling Governor Bentinck to say that the plains of Bengal are bleached white with the bones of the Bengali weaver....Shame on all oppressors
That was reversed, historically speaking, by the cheap production of textiles in India in the 20th century. The old machines for spinning and weaving were bought and transported by Indian companies as the English factories closed. Slowly at first, then rapidly so that the majority of production moved within a decade. Many towns still haven't recovered from this 70 years on. Universally, ordinary workers are most affected, as the few owners/controllers maximise their profits. Stand against all exploitation, not just that of your own.
@@lisachalmers5687 according to white people yes! For the people who are living and breathing generational trauma it is not! Start taking accountability and check your white privilege!
Ehh, depends what you're banning. The massive demand for those fabrics fueled the slave trade and the colonization of India, while devaluing local artisans work. It lead to wealth leaving the country. Are you cool with companies outsourcing every entry level job to other countries? That's the modern equivalent of why they would ban things like calico
@@dismurrart6648 Yes, I'm fine with companies being FREE to outsource. If you want to stop that, prohibition isn't the solution: It's to end the other prohibitions that CAUSE the problem. For example, the ban on a teenager working for five bucks an hour at a company with great career potential, to parley it into experience that will make him rich in the long run. Or the ban on choosing to work without benefits that cost an employer so much that he won't hire you without enormous experience. ALL prohibition of ANY consensual activity is not only wrong, but harmful to society. If shirts from India cost half as much as shirts from the US, then ten thousand shirt factory workers in the US don't have any right to force three hundred million Americans to pay double for clothing.
@@dismurrart6648 Problem is, we are seeing the same thing happening in America today, and the reason is the raising of the minimum wage so high, they are shutting down businesses across the country, and outsourcing other businesses.
@@jeffreyyoung4104 So what's the answer? Slave wages? As usual the rich don't have to worry about prohibitions. They have more money than god and yet they still look to get things cheaper and cheaper - the working class be damned.
@@TwisterTornado Yes I am a boomer, and proud of it. My generation changed the world for over a decade, only to have YOUR generation throw it all away. So that is why three restaurants I enjoyed have closed their doors? Inflation is when the value of the dollar drops in relation to the amount of goods it can buy, and when the government keeps printing money with nothing to support the money, then the value of money drops. And since the value of money has fallen, and you need more of it to buy stuff, raising the pay of part time workers only keeps them earning the same as I was when I was in school. But since the owners have to pay more for labor, products to sell, and the cost of keeping the doors open, they are not earning as much as they were, and need to raise the cost to their customers, who no longer go out to eat, and so no one is making any money! Sadly, when Biden removed everything Trump did to get the economy going again, Biden raised taxes on many things that didn't have 'sin tax', now costs twice as much, if not more, than before. But I have been seeing this happen over and over every time bad politicians get into office, for over 60 years.
Exactly. Imho it never works. It's like immediately ~ when humans hear "Don't do this/you can't have this"= it's like our instinct is "Watch me " ..and if it's something someone had zero interest in before? The moment it's "prohibited "= it becomes extremely attractive ..
@@izzyjones7108 You should having an oppositional highly intelligent child. It’s an advert for birth control, lol. Love him dearly but I’m pretty sure my prematurely grey hair and hubby’s baldness stem from his youth!
@sharonkaczorowski8690 I can relate in that I was an intelligent oppositional child..and now..I have one of my own and am realizing exactly what I put my mom thru.. fwiw. Altho it's hard, it's also incomparable.. and if your kid is anything like I was as a kid? Know they love you fiercely and sometimes don't even understand why they're resisting. (I know I didn't sometimes. It was similar to hearing "this is prohibited"= it just made me wanna do it...even if it wasn't something I had thought of before..✌️
Yeah we read about this in Indian history. Indian calico was hit by tariffs and cost at one point became 300X Btw the name calico derived from the port of "Calicut" which is still on the western coast of India
It is no longer Calcutta but Kolkata. Bengal and West Bengal are modern locations. I’ve heard that along with the Tea plantations various fabric and manufacturing companies are in operation in this area of India.
@@juditrotter5176 Calico comes from Calicut, on the western coast, in the state of Kerala. Calcutta became a player in cotton almost a century later. It is on the Eastern coast in Bengal..
@@juditrotter5176 Calicut is in South western coast of India, Calcutta/Kolkata is all the way on Eastern coast all the way as north as the peninsular coast went
Fabulous history. I have been working with textiles since I was a child. Now, as a senior adult, I love hearing and reading about the tools of our trade, so to speak. These peaks into history make me proud to be a textile artist.
Crikey, we should be transatlantic friends! I am of your era: I was taught to knit, hem, at home, and to learn (at school!) embroidery of a really complex style. I no longer sell the things I've made because it gives me such pleasure to offer them as a gift. "What! you actually MADE IT?" Sometimes people cry they open the wrapping paper; happy tears I hope!
@@angelamaryquitecontrary4609yea, I remember when i was young in the 60s and 70s, learning these skills was just a normal thing for young girls. I taught my generation z daughters these hand crafts as well, and one of them really took to it. She’s in college now still sewing and knitting.
The "tissus de Provence" designs of printed cottons in France were inspired by the printed calico from India. The most notable company still operating today is Souleiado. I went to their museum in Provence a few years back, where they explain some of this.
Love it! I had wondered why classic books depicted rich people liking calico, which we now consider to be cheap cotton. Although I love cultural trade history, like the stories of porcelain and tulips, yet I had never heard the controversy this simple fabric began. Thanks so much!
I love your books! Calico is a fabric made from plane weave cotton. Printed calico is just what is sounds like. Chintz is glazed, printed calico. I think it would have been helpful here to note the difference, because most of the examples shown on screen are chintz, and chintz and calico were not interchangeable terms.
I was actually a bit confused about that. I'm from the state in which Calicut is situated, from where this technique originated. So at first I was wondering how this print is named after a region when we doesn't have any traditional printed fabrics here in the region. Thanks for clarifying that it's the plane fabric that was named Calico and not the print on it.
Actually, Toile was invented and first manufactured in Ireland. The French loved it so much, they 'stole' the technique and produced their own beautiful designs which eventually put the Irish out of business. The Irish designs were so popular, Benjamin Franklin had an exclusive American design produced in Ireland for his own use. I often wondered how he felt about it after the Americans broke free from the British Crown. 😉
Fascinating. I did not know that it was named for a place! I thought, maybe others do also, that it was named after the "calico" multi-coloration of cats.
I have an anecdote... I'm from Montréal. During the french era, I know there was such prohibition from French authorities against calico fabrics, called here "indienne" (indian print, litterally). We know there was some of those in circulation (big black market from the English colonies) because we have judicial documents that show us fines were given to some people in the city for having such shawls.
I love fabrics, and I am a dedicated fabrics-hoarder. To my surprise I found out recently that my old home-town, where I grew up, had a cotton-calico factory in the 1700-1800's. That's nice to know.
@@hanac5751 The Netherlands, the town is called Harderwijk. I've found a small book in my mothers' inheritance that was about the Calico- industry over there.
@@eenzaakvanliefde1969 Thank you so much. I just read about Herderwijk, what a beautiful town! It looks like it has been known since 1300 and now it is on my list of places to visit next time I am in Netherlands. Warm hello from Norway.
@@eenzaakvanliefde1969 I am reading more about Herdewijk history. Incredible stuff. I found out that it was a home to the Koloniaal Werfdepot for the East India army . Wonder if that has something to do with Calico industry in town.
@@hanac5751 That's it! In those days Harderwijk was seated at a bay, and had a large harbour. There were lot's of fishermen and they also traded with other countries all over the world. In fact we are a trading-nation all over, since we also have lots of large rivers, which is one of the reasons we have a diverse community. The old part of the city is beautiful! Better go there in quite times, there are many tourists in summertime.
The Video is 3 years old. I agree about the audio. Once people start talking the Music should go away so you can hear clearly. I have been doing Commercial Radio professionally for 47 years, for the most part we avoid talking over music because of this issue.
Radio commercials need to also avoid doorbells, barking dogs, sirens, horns honking, trucks backing up (beep, beep, beep), and any other noises that make dogs bark and drivers nervous.
@@chantillycat5415 Yes, I've been scared and about jumped out of my skin while driving a couple times when there were siren or honking sounds on the radio; it's dangerous!
I have absolutely no trouble keeping the two sources of sound separate. The volume of the music was well chosen, and the tones of it are different from her voice. I think it is a really good choice. And I have old man ears. :p
You're not wrong that "hanged" is correct, but as linguistic rules are defined by speakers and common usage and not passed down from on high, "hung" is not a mistake but simply a natural changing of the language. After all, you knew exactly what she meant. Common "mistakes" often aren't mistakes at all, unless they hinder understanding. Most linguists are descriptivists these days 😊
Question the algorithm?Because we don’t know the changing motives, of the designers. It is social engineering. When most people get a new recommendation. They think, it was their own idea.
It's interesting that you say cotton was much better for underwear than linen, as being in the historical costuming community I've always heard the opposite. Cotton will do in a pinch, but linen launders better and keeps the wearer cooler and drier, which is incredibly important for underwear that is laundered frequently (and intensely, back then) and is the main layer against the skin. Cotton doesn't wick away moisture to the same extent as linen does, so can be hotter to wear and clammier too, leading to discomfort and potential skin irritation. The added heat might be seen as a bonus in winter or colder climes, but the moisture retention offsets that benefit in my eyes- you're better off with warmer outer layers you can switch than damp, humid undies.
The thing about cotton is, when it doesn't wick moisture/sweat, that is exactly what makes it more hygienic. It doesn't harbour microbes that feed on your sweat, thus cotton would smell as much and neither would you. That's the reason why cotton was the main fabric in hot humid climates where you'll definitely sweat a lot and not wicking up that sweat probably could have been better for cooling their body as well
Love all the corrections made by random commenters. This expert literally WROTE the book. I am obsessong over the print on the thumbnail. It calls to my symmerty-loving soul. Very fond of calico prints, too. Been sewing since I was 12. I'm 67. My teens in the 70s was calico and denim. Skirts, dresses.
Anyone can self-publish literally anything regardless of the amount of truth it contains (or doesn't contain, as the case may be). This is why scientific and medical journals require peer review, and why any singular standalone study carries little to no weight in relevant communities.
Experts are wrong--frequently. Also, sometimes new information comes to light that makes you have to rethink what you wrote--see, e.g., the DNA evidence that recently showed that the Maya sacrifices at one location were young boys, not girls as had long been assumed. Any expert knows full well that there's a chance they may be proven wrong. That's why you often see books labeled "second revised edition." At any rate, yes, I'm a historian and while it's human nature to dislike being wrong, debates among experts also drive knowledge forward.
@@jennifernordlund2691 Peer reviewed doesn't mean your favorite coworker looks at it and tells you nice things. Independent professionals submit their work to an independent journal, the journal then has other independent professionals critically review all the work and confirm or deny not only its accuracy and validity, but its contemporary relevance and significance. Scientists don't work for the journals they get published to; they're almost never paid a single penny for their efforts and there is usually a pretty high submission fee (hundreds to thousands of dollars) before any journal will agree to publish their work. You, on the other hand, could write a 9000 page manifesto on why you should be declared supreme ruler of the Pacific Ocean and self publish that on to Amazon for a nominal or non-existent fee. That's not to say that junk science isn't published and nothing ever slips through the cracks, just look at the idiot who claimed regular vaccines cause autism and tried to sell HIS vaccines as a replacement. In the end his work was rescinded and his career was absolutely destroyed because he was full of shit. THAT is peer review in action.
Cotton is the most dusty fabric. This aspect is of great importance for the transmission of infections and the quality of inhaled air in indoor environments.
@@kellydalstok8900 у нас нет дома, маленькая квартира. Стираем в стиральной машине, и не только одежду. Долго не пылит только ткань из длинного волокна, она более дорогая.
Your comment reminded me of a local saying, 'Turning the goat into a dog, that dog into a rabid dog and then beating it to death'. A wrong association and that too, to something that was the exact opposite from truth. It's scientifically researched and proven that cotton fabrics have among many fabrics, the least microbial growth in them. Cotton doesn't wick moisture, aka your sweat, which thereby means it also doesn't harbour microbes in the threads that eats the sweat. So there goes you infection transmission hoolabaloo. Historically, cotton garments were insisted for this exact reason in our region which has a tropical rainforest climate with close proximity to a forest, and will have many infectious outbreaks every year....especially during times of smallpox
Watching the video from Calicut/ Kozhikode, town in India which was produced this fabric and hence the name of the town was given to the fabric. This was a new information for me as well!
Fabulous! It's amazing how colour and print and beauty is important to human beings! We have such a drive for them, it's amazing. It can't be just out of frivolity. The older I get and the more I reflect on these things, the more I am convinced that colour and beauty must serve some kind of purpose for the human psyche. Absolutely fascinating. Thank you for your work!
@@userwsyz: When we see a plant or an animal or a fruit or, indeed, a person that is healthy and well-formed, we often perceive it as beautiful. That is, healthy plants and animals make better food (or wooden beams or companion animals or whatever it is we want from them) and healthy humans are more likely to produce healthy offspring. So perceiving healthy, well formed things as beautiful has an evolutionary advantage. When it comes to scenery I think there is also an evolutionary advantage in seeing (say) mountains or rivers or forests or whatever as beautiful, our minds like beauty and this helps to give us a contented state of mind. Again, seeing beauty in the world around us has an evolutionary advantage.
During the industrial revolution in Britain, capitalist class came forward. They didn't wanted Indian goods (calicos, muslins sugar etc). They simply wanted Indian raw material( raw cotton and silk) to produce their own machine goods and use India as a market to sell these. For this they imposed such high import duties on Indian goods that it almost vanished and the export duty from Britain to India was almost free. So from manufacturers we were simply reduced to consumers and raw material suppliers😢 and all this ON OUR OWN COST
You’re right about the capitalist class in Britain. Weaving (linen and wool) had been a skilled trade, respected, and done by people who were very eager to educate their children. This changed very rapidly when the wealthy class realised that cotton manufacture was easy to mechanise. Having done that, they could transfer a lot of the wool weaving too. The people (many children) who actually worked in the UK cotton mills had terrible lives. Children as young as six did the “piecing” (mending broken threads) worked such long hours in such dangerous and miserable terrible conditions, and so badly paid and badly nourished, they died in their droves. The survivors often ended up with malformed bones. The average 19th century steam-loom weaver - skilled young women - did not live much past their twenties.
Hello. I watched this yesterday and found it fascinating so I bought yr book. Only read two chapters yet but it’s looking good. The only thing I’ve thought is that I so wish the pics were in colour. Thank you. Linda in UK
Hello Virginia. Just a tip for you - when filming, do not look at the monitor, look at the camera. Otherwise it gives a creepy look. You re not alone in this, lots of early TH-camrs do it. Thanks from another fabricoholic.
I think she is looking at her SCRIPT! It's hard! My most recent video is the same, but mine is right below. I have to figure out how to memorize more text or put my camera lense in the middle of my cue cards (?)
So much of our interesting history not taught. This little snippet of video provides so much context that was nor explained while we suffered in school. Thank You.
Apart from being able to be brightly colored, cotton really does not make better clothing than linen. Like “low waste” (the current excuse this last year or two for big boxy cuts and far fewer sizes of clothing) “better underwear” was an excuse given by manufacturers for materials and methods that are cheaper and easier for themselves. Linen is better at wicking moisture away from the body - it keeps you drier - cooler in summer, warmer in winter than cotton. You do not get damp sweat-patches nearly so easily as with cotton, and if you do, they dry quickly. You don’t get as much yellow-armpit look - and if you do, you can get rid of it better, by wash at near-boiling temperature and sun-bleaching back to a good white. Linen works especially well in winter paired with wool, and if you exert yourself you don’t end up clammy cold as you do with damp-patched cotton. Linen is stain resistant- which is why it’s preferred for tablecloths. It can be washed in extremely hot water - dealing with more marks than cotton, as well as staying hygenic. Linen is harder wearing - YEARS longer-lasting than the same thread count & weave made in cotton. This is why (until this decade when it joined the fast-fashion market) linen clothing was made with enclosed seams and linen-thread stitching; because the whole garment was expected to last 3-5 times longer than the equivalent in cotton. It outlasts cotton thread used to sew it. But linen is trickier to manufacture. The raw fibres are difficult to handle when bone dry, it needs damp conditions for successful plant-processing and spinning. That was tricky to mechanise. It can be bleached, but it was not until the 21st century that it became possible to dye linen in bright colors. Other than with indigo (which, in linen, shades down from nearer black to a brighter blue than it does with cotton) most older dyes go somehow dull with linen. Flax grows best in temperate, damp climates where the laborers traditionally could negotiate for their wage. Not countries where all your farmworkers could be more or less serfs (India) or enslaved people (US & Caribbean). So an industrial process that was easier to mechanise in the 19th century, low (!) labor costs, a cheaper up-front consumer price and brighter colors were the advantages of cotton.
thank you--i was thinking this because i've seen a lot of fashion history youtubers extoll the virtues of linen, and it inspired me to buy linen lounge clothes for the hottest days of summer, and it is in fact much cooler and more sanitary than cotton.
@@ushere5791 Linen even has some mysterious antiseptic quality. Bandages were historically made from linen, but not just because they were convenient to make from torn up sheets or clothes. It might be related to the efficient wicking, that it helps keep wounds drier - but nobody is very sure.
The stable of exotic synthetics today foster many negative processes in my body. Thank goodness they still require labeling for me to distinguish. It is getting much harder to find lightweight breathable fabrics most suitable for hot humid temps. My lifetime affair affair with fabric and pattern delighted in your video. Was so engaged in the content, I never considered the music to be an impediment. You do YOU!
Omg the TH-cam algorithm delivers. I’m obsessed with textiles and have (not that it really matters) a fashion design background. Oh you’re gonna be a favorite I already know. Blessings to you, gorgeous human!❤
Bought your book from another author’s bookstore! Can’t wait to receive it in the mail. I appreciate the comments clarifying calico, print calico, and glazed/chintz cotton, in addition to educating us on the correct geographical origins in India. Learning a lot already!
I would love to show you an old flat in San Francisco filled with layered wallpaper that showcased their products. Awesome beauty telling a story. Each room a marvel 🌼🦜🦢🦋
This is a really good video. I was very much interested and learned new things. Thank you! I hope you keep posting videos of things you know. It is fascinating.
Very interesting. I love Indian cotton and although I don’t sew, I use it in my crafting to decoupage furniture. So thin, such high fiber count and the most wonderful Indian motifs! 👏👏👏👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🥰🥰🥰🥰
This such a crazy and interesting story. Thank you! And some of these articles, like the jackets - oh la la tres magnifique! My mom made a lot of my clothes when I was little, so I have memories of going to the fabric store (it was called Fabricland 🥰) and looking through pattern catalogues, aisles filled with bolts of all the different kinds of fabric, and spools of pretty ribbons and lace. I, and my parents, love history, (and my mom has a degree in French), so this video makes me feel a certain kind of sentimental. If it weren’t for those trips to Fabricland, I might’ve only known that calico is a kind of cat. Also, in an era of fast fashion made from an astonishingly large amount of plastic material, I feel it’s important for people to know more about the history of clothing and how fabric, as with all other components of ordinary daily life, is part of a much larger story of interconnectedness. I’m endlessly fascinated by these things.
Fascinating. Thank you. I live in a place that calls itself the "Quilt Capital of the US", Paducah, KY... Your book would do well here during the quilt show (if we have it again) in the spring.
This is the first I've heard of any of this and I'm very old! I love that there's still things to learn. But I'm still saddened that people are so wrapped up in making money get something as innocuous has cotton could become contraband.
I don't know if I would call cotton better than linen. Thats subjective at best. And linen actually moves water away from the body like an active wear fabric so that also seems unlikely. Famously cotton guaze from india was the most expensive fabric u could buy and it's no longer made.
Thank you for posting Wow so there literally was a fashion police! I can see their point but wool must have been useful in seasons where cotton fell short.
This is so brilliant what are you doing here? Thank you for the history that you’re sharing so clearly the music is a little bit in my ear but it’s well worth plowing through to hear what you’re saying. Thank you again love understanding and studying to see what you’re saying.
Imagine a world where the buying and selling of a printed cotton cloth can get you fined/jailed/executed, but the buying and selling of human beings is perfectly fine. We humans are very strange.
It’s all about money!
Devils world is ugly
Sadly I can imagine and it would not surprise me if our government tried to do any of this
@@Pattio47yup always but the greed is destroying the world ! The government has slowly tried to phase out cash and money
Never forget that not all laws are just and not all lawbreakers are amoral.
And let's not forget how the East India Company destroyed the textile industry of Bengal, India, in order to protect textile Mills in Manchester. These draconian policies led to widespread famine, killing hundreds of thousands, and compelling Governor Bentinck to say that the plains of Bengal are bleached white with the bones of the Bengali weaver....Shame on all oppressors
That was reversed, historically speaking, by the cheap production of textiles in India in the 20th century. The old machines for spinning and weaving were bought and transported by Indian companies as the English factories closed. Slowly at first, then rapidly so that the majority of production moved within a decade. Many towns still haven't recovered from this 70 years on.
Universally, ordinary workers are most affected, as the few owners/controllers maximise their profits. Stand against all exploitation, not just that of your own.
Outrage over history and then trying to shame the ancestors of so-called "oppressors" is very 2015.
@@lisachalmers5687 according to white people yes! For the people who are living and breathing generational trauma it is not! Start taking accountability and check your white privilege!
Ask the Irish about life under British rule
Britain was jealous of thé artistic potential of east asian countries
Okay, this may be the coolest, most accessible explanation of the inherent evils of prohibition, ever.
Ehh, depends what you're banning. The massive demand for those fabrics fueled the slave trade and the colonization of India, while devaluing local artisans work. It lead to wealth leaving the country.
Are you cool with companies outsourcing every entry level job to other countries? That's the modern equivalent of why they would ban things like calico
@@dismurrart6648 Yes, I'm fine with companies being FREE to outsource. If you want to stop that, prohibition isn't the solution:
It's to end the other prohibitions that CAUSE the problem.
For example, the ban on a teenager working for five bucks an hour at a company with great career potential, to parley it into experience that will make him rich in the long run.
Or the ban on choosing to work without benefits that cost an employer so much that he won't hire you without enormous experience.
ALL prohibition of ANY consensual activity is not only wrong, but harmful to society.
If shirts from India cost half as much as shirts from the US, then ten thousand shirt factory workers in the US don't have any right to force three hundred million Americans to pay double for clothing.
@@dismurrart6648 Problem is, we are seeing the same thing happening in America today, and the reason is the raising of the minimum wage so high, they are shutting down businesses across the country, and outsourcing other businesses.
@@jeffreyyoung4104 So what's the answer? Slave wages? As usual the rich don't have to worry about prohibitions. They have more money than god and yet they still look to get things cheaper and cheaper - the working class be damned.
@@TwisterTornado Yes I am a boomer, and proud of it. My generation changed the world for over a decade, only to have YOUR generation throw it all away.
So that is why three restaurants I enjoyed have closed their doors?
Inflation is when the value of the dollar drops in relation to the amount of goods it can buy, and when the government keeps printing money with nothing to support the money, then the value of money drops. And since the value of money has fallen, and you need more of it to buy stuff, raising the pay of part time workers only keeps them earning the same as I was when I was in school.
But since the owners have to pay more for labor, products to sell, and the cost of keeping the doors open, they are not earning as much as they were, and need to raise the cost to their customers, who no longer go out to eat, and so no one is making any money!
Sadly, when Biden removed everything Trump did to get the economy going again, Biden raised taxes on many things that didn't have 'sin tax', now costs twice as much, if not more, than before.
But I have been seeing this happen over and over every time bad politicians get into office, for over 60 years.
Given human nature, prohibitions generally makes the prohibited more desirable.
The more I'm told not to, the more I want to try it. That was the younger me.
Exactly! It’s turns out to be all political 🙄 even within the fabric industry…shish!🙄
Exactly. Imho it never works. It's like immediately ~ when humans hear "Don't do this/you can't have this"= it's like our instinct is "Watch me " ..and if it's something someone had zero interest in before? The moment it's "prohibited "= it becomes extremely attractive ..
@@izzyjones7108 You should having an oppositional highly intelligent child. It’s an advert for birth control, lol. Love him dearly but I’m pretty sure my prematurely grey hair and hubby’s baldness stem from his youth!
@sharonkaczorowski8690 I can relate in that I was an intelligent oppositional child..and now..I have one of my own and am realizing exactly what I put my mom thru.. fwiw. Altho it's hard, it's also incomparable.. and if your kid is anything like I was as a kid? Know they love you fiercely and sometimes don't even understand why they're resisting. (I know I didn't sometimes. It was similar to hearing "this is prohibited"= it just made me wanna do it...even if it wasn't something I had thought of before..✌️
I never knew any of this .. Thankyou and thanks to the Indian Calico makers for the beautiful cloth ..
Someone else called this chintz
Very nice, but the music is a bit too loud. But still very nice!
Yeah we read about this in Indian history.
Indian calico was hit by tariffs and cost at one point became 300X
Btw the name calico derived from the port of "Calicut" which is still on the western coast of India
It is no longer Calcutta but Kolkata. Bengal and West Bengal are modern locations. I’ve heard that along with the Tea plantations various fabric and manufacturing companies are in operation in this area of India.
@@juditrotter5176 Calico comes from Calicut, on the western coast, in the state of Kerala. Calcutta became a player in cotton almost a century later. It is on the Eastern coast in Bengal..
@@juditrotter5176 Please notice the difference between Calcutta and Calicut!
@@juditrotter5176 Calicut (Kozhikode) and Calcutta (Kolkata) are over 1,000 miles apart!
@@juditrotter5176 Calicut is in South western coast of India, Calcutta/Kolkata is all the way on Eastern coast all the way as north as the peninsular coast went
Fabulous history. I have been working with textiles since I was a child. Now, as a senior adult, I love hearing and reading about the tools of our trade, so to speak. These peaks into history make me proud to be a textile artist.
Crikey, we should be transatlantic friends! I am of your era: I was taught to knit, hem, at home, and to learn (at school!) embroidery of a really complex style. I no longer sell the things I've made because it gives me such pleasure to offer them as a gift. "What! you actually MADE IT?" Sometimes people cry they open the wrapping paper; happy tears I hope!
@@angelamaryquitecontrary4609yea, I remember when i was young in the 60s and 70s, learning these skills was just a normal thing for young girls. I taught my generation z daughters these hand crafts as well, and one of them really took to it. She’s in college now still sewing and knitting.
@@PeachysMom It's actually really good for developing fine motor skills, too. I expect your daughters' handwriting is very fine.
I do wish people didn’t have music while they talk. It drowns out whatever they’re saying😟
Yes, please no music or very low in the background. It's exhausting trying to listen to a soft voice over loud background music.
I came here to comment the same! 😢
True very distracting bc of the high volume...
Delete the music please!
Agreed much to loud!!
The "tissus de Provence" designs of printed cottons in France were inspired by the printed calico from India. The most notable company still operating today is Souleiado. I went to their museum in Provence a few years back, where they explain some of this.
Pierre Deux
@@marelleq1506Explain.??
Love it! I had wondered why classic books depicted rich people liking calico, which we now consider to be cheap cotton. Although I love cultural trade history, like the stories of porcelain and tulips, yet I had never heard the controversy this simple fabric began.
Thanks so much!
I love your books! Calico is a fabric made from plane weave cotton. Printed calico is just what is sounds like. Chintz is glazed, printed calico. I think it would have been helpful here to note the difference, because most of the examples shown on screen are chintz, and chintz and calico were not interchangeable terms.
I was actually a bit confused about that. I'm from the state in which Calicut is situated, from where this technique originated. So at first I was wondering how this print is named after a region when we doesn't have any traditional printed fabrics here in the region. Thanks for clarifying that it's the plane fabric that was named Calico and not the print on it.
This information is so important not for drowning in music. Your voice is fine on its own.
Your subject is fascinating.
get over it
Actually, Toile was invented and first manufactured in Ireland. The French loved it so much, they 'stole' the technique and produced their own beautiful designs which eventually put the Irish out of business. The Irish designs were so popular, Benjamin Franklin had an exclusive American design produced in Ireland for his own use. I often wondered how he felt about it after the Americans broke free from the British Crown.
😉
Am from calicut. Land of calico fabric
Hello 👋
Fascinating. I did not know that it was named for a place! I thought, maybe others do also, that it was named after the "calico" multi-coloration of cats.
I knew Madras came from a specific area. So interesting for a home seamstress.
I Hope I can visit Your country some day. Cheers from Brazil!
@@emiliayonekokumata7167 Cheers, Emilia. Best wishes on your travels!
Enjoyed the information but agree, please loose the music.
I have an anecdote... I'm from Montréal. During the french era, I know there was such prohibition from French authorities against calico fabrics, called here "indienne" (indian print, litterally). We know there was some of those in circulation (big black market from the English colonies) because we have judicial documents that show us fines were given to some people in the city for having such shawls.
I love fabrics, and I am a dedicated fabrics-hoarder. To my surprise I found out recently that my old home-town, where I grew up, had a cotton-calico factory in the 1700-1800's. That's nice to know.
which country is that, thanks.
@@hanac5751 The Netherlands, the town is called Harderwijk. I've found a small book in my mothers' inheritance that was about the Calico- industry over there.
@@eenzaakvanliefde1969 Thank you so much. I just read about Herderwijk, what a beautiful town! It looks like it has been known since 1300 and now it is on my list of places to visit next time I am in Netherlands. Warm hello from Norway.
@@eenzaakvanliefde1969 I am reading more about Herdewijk history. Incredible stuff.
I found out that it was a home to the Koloniaal Werfdepot for the East India army . Wonder if that has something to do with Calico industry in town.
@@hanac5751 That's it! In those days Harderwijk was seated at a bay, and had a large harbour. There were lot's of fishermen and they also traded with other countries all over the world. In fact we are a trading-nation all over, since we also have lots of large rivers, which is one of the reasons we have a diverse community.
The old part of the city is beautiful! Better go there in quite times, there are many tourists in summertime.
The Video is 3 years old. I agree about the audio. Once people start talking the Music should go away so you can hear clearly. I have been doing Commercial Radio professionally for 47 years, for the most part we avoid talking over music because of this issue.
Radio commercials need to also avoid doorbells, barking dogs, sirens, horns honking, trucks backing up (beep, beep, beep), and any other noises that make dogs bark and drivers nervous.
@@kilodeltawhisky1504most annoying are radio ads with emergency sirens. That should be a big no-no just out of common sense.
@@chantillycat5415 Yes, I've been scared and about jumped out of my skin while driving a couple times when there were siren or honking sounds on the radio; it's dangerous!
I have absolutely no trouble keeping the two sources of sound separate.
The volume of the music was well chosen, and the tones of it are different from her voice. I think it is a really good choice.
And I have old man ears. :p
@@chantillycat5415 Moving to the EU would resolve that issue. :D
My grandmother worked at a weaving factory in the dyeing department. It's very hard work. Mostly there was German equipment.
A man is HANGED (as written correctly in the quote); a picture is hung.
You're not wrong that "hanged" is correct, but as linguistic rules are defined by speakers and common usage and not passed down from on high, "hung" is not a mistake but simply a natural changing of the language. After all, you knew exactly what she meant. Common "mistakes" often aren't mistakes at all, unless they hinder understanding.
Most linguists are descriptivists these days 😊
This was fascinating! Idk how in the world this video got to be in my feed, but why question the algorithm?! I loved all the information. Thanks.
Question the algorithm?Because we don’t know the changing motives, of the designers. It is social engineering.
When most people get a new recommendation. They think, it was their own idea.
Excellent briefing. I love fabric and all the nuance it provides. To think beauty was banned. Outrageous.
It's interesting that you say cotton was much better for underwear than linen, as being in the historical costuming community I've always heard the opposite. Cotton will do in a pinch, but linen launders better and keeps the wearer cooler and drier, which is incredibly important for underwear that is laundered frequently (and intensely, back then) and is the main layer against the skin. Cotton doesn't wick away moisture to the same extent as linen does, so can be hotter to wear and clammier too, leading to discomfort and potential skin irritation. The added heat might be seen as a bonus in winter or colder climes, but the moisture retention offsets that benefit in my eyes- you're better off with warmer outer layers you can switch than damp, humid undies.
The thing about cotton is, when it doesn't wick moisture/sweat, that is exactly what makes it more hygienic. It doesn't harbour microbes that feed on your sweat, thus cotton would smell as much and neither would you. That's the reason why cotton was the main fabric in hot humid climates where you'll definitely sweat a lot and not wicking up that sweat probably could have been better for cooling their body as well
Love all the corrections made by random commenters. This expert literally WROTE the book.
I am obsessong over the print on the thumbnail. It calls to my symmerty-loving soul. Very fond of calico prints, too. Been sewing since I was 12. I'm 67. My teens in the 70s was calico and denim. Skirts, dresses.
I knew none of this, btw. Thank you very much.
Anyone can self-publish literally anything regardless of the amount of truth it contains (or doesn't contain, as the case may be). This is why scientific and medical journals require peer review, and why any singular standalone study carries little to no weight in relevant communities.
Experts are wrong--frequently. Also, sometimes new information comes to light that makes you have to rethink what you wrote--see, e.g., the DNA evidence that recently showed that the Maya sacrifices at one location were young boys, not girls as had long been assumed. Any expert knows full well that there's a chance they may be proven wrong. That's why you often see books labeled "second revised edition." At any rate, yes, I'm a historian and while it's human nature to dislike being wrong, debates among experts also drive knowledge forward.
@@perplexingHodgepodgepeer reviewed doesn't mean much either. Just that they are all on the same payroll.
@@jennifernordlund2691 Peer reviewed doesn't mean your favorite coworker looks at it and tells you nice things. Independent professionals submit their work to an independent journal, the journal then has other independent professionals critically review all the work and confirm or deny not only its accuracy and validity, but its contemporary relevance and significance. Scientists don't work for the journals they get published to; they're almost never paid a single penny for their efforts and there is usually a pretty high submission fee (hundreds to thousands of dollars) before any journal will agree to publish their work. You, on the other hand, could write a 9000 page manifesto on why you should be declared supreme ruler of the Pacific Ocean and self publish that on to Amazon for a nominal or non-existent fee. That's not to say that junk science isn't published and nothing ever slips through the cracks, just look at the idiot who claimed regular vaccines cause autism and tried to sell HIS vaccines as a replacement. In the end his work was rescinded and his career was absolutely destroyed because he was full of shit. THAT is peer review in action.
The shot in the thumbnail of the back of the calico dress is gorgeous.
Very good brief history. I want to learn more about the calico fabrics Thank you
this is absolutely fascinating!
It was from east India now it’s calling Dhaka in Bangladesh .
Cotton is the most dusty fabric. This aspect is of great importance for the transmission of infections and the quality of inhaled air in indoor environments.
That is interesting. Thanks.
Stop living in fear.
Whatever do you do with your clothes to make your home so dusty?
@@kellydalstok8900 у нас нет дома, маленькая квартира. Стираем в стиральной машине, и не только одежду. Долго не пылит только ткань из длинного волокна, она более дорогая.
Your comment reminded me of a local saying, 'Turning the goat into a dog, that dog into a rabid dog and then beating it to death'.
A wrong association and that too, to something that was the exact opposite from truth.
It's scientifically researched and proven that cotton fabrics have among many fabrics, the least microbial growth in them. Cotton doesn't wick moisture, aka your sweat, which thereby means it also doesn't harbour microbes in the threads that eats the sweat.
So there goes you infection transmission hoolabaloo.
Historically, cotton garments were insisted for this exact reason in our region which has a tropical rainforest climate with close proximity to a forest, and will have many infectious outbreaks every year....especially during times of smallpox
Wonderful, Virginia! I'm so glad I found your channel!!!
Watching the video from Calicut/ Kozhikode, town in India which was produced this fabric and hence the name of the town was given to the fabric. This was a new information for me as well!
That was really interesting.
Fabulous! It's amazing how colour and print and beauty is important to human beings! We have such a drive for them, it's amazing. It can't be just out of frivolity. The older I get and the more I reflect on these things, the more I am convinced that colour and beauty must serve some kind of purpose for the human psyche. Absolutely fascinating. Thank you for your work!
Because humans like beautiful things.
@@userwsyz: When we see a plant or an animal or a fruit or, indeed, a person that is healthy and well-formed, we often perceive it as beautiful. That is, healthy plants and animals make better food (or wooden beams or companion animals or whatever it is we want from them) and healthy humans are more likely to produce healthy offspring. So perceiving healthy, well formed things as beautiful has an evolutionary advantage.
When it comes to scenery I think there is also an evolutionary advantage in seeing (say) mountains or rivers or forests or whatever as beautiful, our minds like beauty and this helps to give us a contented state of mind. Again, seeing beauty in the world around us has an evolutionary advantage.
Very interesting! What a superb research 👏👏!!
During the industrial revolution in Britain, capitalist class came forward. They didn't wanted Indian goods (calicos, muslins sugar etc). They simply wanted Indian raw material( raw cotton and silk) to produce their own machine goods and use India as a market to sell these. For this they imposed such high import duties on Indian goods that it almost vanished and the export duty from Britain to India was almost free. So from manufacturers we were simply reduced to consumers and raw material suppliers😢 and all this ON OUR OWN COST
Britain drained the riches of India for their own profit.
You must get back your wonderful Indian power and beautiful style!
Why am I not surprised
You’re right about the capitalist class in Britain. Weaving (linen and wool) had been a skilled trade, respected, and done by people who were very eager to educate their children. This changed very rapidly when the wealthy class realised that cotton manufacture was easy to mechanise. Having done that, they could transfer a lot of the wool weaving too.
The people (many children) who actually worked in the UK cotton mills had terrible lives. Children as young as six did the “piecing” (mending broken threads) worked such long hours in such dangerous and miserable terrible conditions, and so badly paid and badly nourished, they died in their droves. The survivors often ended up with malformed bones.
The average 19th century steam-loom weaver - skilled young women - did not live much past their twenties.
Same with sugar in the Caribbean. Colonial methods.
The same story with USSR and Russia in the 20th centery and the beginning of the 21st
I absolutely love the calico prints.
Hello. I watched this yesterday and found it fascinating so I bought yr book. Only read two chapters yet but it’s looking good. The only thing I’ve thought is that I so wish the pics were in colour. Thank you. Linda in UK
As a fabric lover and designer your information is delightful
Fascinating recount of history.
Hello Virginia. Just a tip for you - when filming, do not look at the monitor, look at the camera. Otherwise it gives a creepy look. You re not alone in this, lots of early TH-camrs do it. Thanks from another fabricoholic.
Nice of you to give helpful advice. We all need help learning.
Her voice is very abrasive. I like her concept.
I think she is looking at her SCRIPT!
It's hard! My most recent video is the same, but mine is right below. I have to figure out how to memorize more text or put my camera lense in the middle of my cue cards (?)
This is such an interesting History on fabrics! Thank you 😊
Let her be we are not all perfect the important here she's sharing this beautiful story .
That was so interesting. Thank you
My mom is a seamstress over 50 years. I am an emerging fiber artist who really appreciates learning this history! Thank you!
This was really a wonderful video. I noticed you haven’t made any videos for a year. If you’re up to it, I think your videos make the world smarter.
Lovely video. Thank you so much. And also kudos for knowing and sharing that masks keep you from spreading your germs not from Contracting them.
What an excellent and interesting essay. Thanks so much!
I was overwhelmed from feeling the connection to our past via our contemporary attitudes, what an amazing story!👚👗👕
I like the synopsis of this story; good one! God bless you! I learned a lot of information on the history of calico.
So much of our interesting history not taught. This little snippet of video provides so much context that was nor explained while we suffered in school. Thank You.
Apart from being able to be brightly colored, cotton really does not make better clothing than linen. Like “low waste” (the current excuse this last year or two for big boxy cuts and far fewer sizes of clothing) “better underwear” was an excuse given by manufacturers for materials and methods that are cheaper and easier for themselves.
Linen is better at wicking moisture away from the body - it keeps you drier - cooler in summer, warmer in winter than cotton. You do not get damp sweat-patches nearly so easily as with cotton, and if you do, they dry quickly. You don’t get as much yellow-armpit look - and if you do, you can get rid of it better, by wash at near-boiling temperature and sun-bleaching back to a good white.
Linen works especially well in winter paired with wool, and if you exert yourself you don’t end up clammy cold as you do with damp-patched cotton. Linen is stain resistant- which is why it’s preferred for tablecloths. It can be washed in extremely hot water - dealing with more marks than cotton, as well as staying hygenic.
Linen is harder wearing - YEARS longer-lasting than the same thread count & weave made in cotton. This is why (until this decade when it joined the fast-fashion market) linen clothing was made with enclosed seams and linen-thread stitching; because the whole garment was expected to last 3-5 times longer than the equivalent in cotton. It outlasts cotton thread used to sew it.
But linen is trickier to manufacture. The raw fibres are difficult to handle when bone dry, it needs damp conditions for successful plant-processing and spinning. That was tricky to mechanise. It can be bleached, but it was not until the 21st century that it became possible to dye linen in bright colors. Other than with indigo (which, in linen, shades down from nearer black to a brighter blue than it does with cotton) most older dyes go somehow dull with linen.
Flax grows best in temperate, damp climates where the laborers traditionally could negotiate for their wage. Not countries where all your farmworkers could be more or less serfs (India) or enslaved people (US & Caribbean).
So an industrial process that was easier to mechanise in the 19th century, low (!) labor costs, a cheaper up-front consumer price and brighter colors were the advantages of cotton.
Interesting additional info!
@@jmhatyoutube6283Indeed!
All above true!
I love linen more in hot whether ...
thank you--i was thinking this because i've seen a lot of fashion history youtubers extoll the virtues of linen, and it inspired me to buy linen lounge clothes for the hottest days of summer, and it is in fact much cooler and more sanitary than cotton.
@@ushere5791 Linen even has some mysterious antiseptic quality. Bandages were historically made from linen, but not just because they were convenient to make from torn up sheets or clothes. It might be related to the efficient wicking, that it helps keep wounds drier - but nobody is very sure.
Fascinating, thank you!
This is sooo fascinating!! And the reference images are delightful, too
The stable of exotic synthetics today foster many negative processes in my body. Thank goodness they still require labeling for me to distinguish. It is getting much harder to find lightweight breathable fabrics most suitable for hot humid temps. My lifetime affair affair with fabric and pattern delighted in your video. Was so engaged in the content, I never considered the music to be an impediment. You do YOU!
I learned absolutely new to me and I was so interested throughout your entire story. Thank you.
Wow would love a whole series on this
Omg the TH-cam algorithm delivers. I’m obsessed with textiles and have (not that it really matters) a fashion design background. Oh you’re gonna be a favorite I already know. Blessings to you, gorgeous human!❤
What an interesting piece of history.
Thanks for creating & sharing this, Virginia Postrel ☮️
Maravilloso reportaje! Gracias , espero encontrar su hidromasaje traducido al español!
Bought your book from another author’s bookstore! Can’t wait to receive it in the mail.
I appreciate the comments clarifying calico, print calico, and glazed/chintz cotton, in addition to educating us on the correct geographical origins in India. Learning a lot already!
Cool! Prohibition nearly always makes things worse. Thanks! :)
Not always
I adore the music. It seems so timely with such interesting info.
I would love to show you an old flat in San Francisco filled with layered wallpaper that showcased their products. Awesome beauty telling a story. Each room a marvel 🌼🦜🦢🦋
incredible video. loved both bandana vids.
Oh wow, is that where the phrase "fashion police" originated?
did I miss how Calico was defined?... what type of material was it?
Just fascinating!!❤
This is a really good video. I was very much interested and learned new things. Thank you! I hope you keep posting videos of things you know. It is fascinating.
Thank you for keeping this history alive.It matters.I love your brain
Thank's for the info and for sharing !!!
Thanks for sharing this interesting history of fabric!
Wow that's a crazy story! Subscribed!
Thank you Ma'am! Another piece of info falls into place with this video - so well presented. I will relish learning more from your expositions!
I watched this video, and bought the book. I'm halfway through. It's fascinating!
Most people don't realize the history when they purchase calico or madras. I hope your book sells really well😊
Great video, got to get your book!!
So interesting, thank you!
Thoroughly fascinating subject and well presented too!
this reminds me of how farm rio a brand known for vibrant prints , has all their dresses manufactured in India are selling like hot cakes.
Very interesting. I love Indian cotton and although I don’t sew, I use it in my crafting to decoupage furniture. So thin, such high fiber count and the most wonderful Indian motifs! 👏👏👏👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🥰🥰🥰🥰
Excellent presentation. It would have been nice if the speaker looked directly into the camera. It was very distracting.
I had no idea! Thank you for sharing this!
Good morning! This is Fascinating! Can’t wait to watch this after work.😁👍🏽
This such a crazy and interesting story. Thank you! And some of these articles, like the jackets - oh la la tres magnifique! My mom made a lot of my clothes when I was little, so I have memories of going to the fabric store (it was called Fabricland 🥰) and looking through pattern catalogues, aisles filled with bolts of all the different kinds of fabric, and spools of pretty ribbons and lace. I, and my parents, love history, (and my mom has a degree in French), so this video makes me feel a certain kind of sentimental. If it weren’t for those trips to Fabricland, I might’ve only known that calico is a kind of cat. Also, in an era of fast fashion made from an astonishingly large amount of plastic material, I feel it’s important for people to know more about the history of clothing and how fabric, as with all other components of ordinary daily life, is part of a much larger story of interconnectedness. I’m endlessly fascinated by these things.
Thanks for this! I’ll be reading your book very soon.
Awesome, thank yi so much for your knowledge and a giggle ❤
Excellent. The comments are as outstanding as the video. Very informative and illustrated. I will get the book too.
Fascinating. Thank you. I live in a place that calls itself the "Quilt Capital of the US", Paducah, KY... Your book would do well here during the quilt show (if we have it again) in the spring.
Thank you for this video ! And I'll be buying your book !
This is the first I've heard of any of this and I'm very old! I love that there's still things to learn. But I'm still saddened that people are so wrapped up in making money get something as innocuous has cotton could become contraband.
I don't know if I would call cotton better than linen. Thats subjective at best. And linen actually moves water away from the body like an active wear fabric so that also seems unlikely. Famously cotton guaze from india was the most expensive fabric u could buy and it's no longer made.
😮Wow. Truly fascinating.
I assume this is how the calico cat was named after. 😁
Great research on this video!
Intetesting. Enjoyed very much!
Thank you for posting Wow so there literally was a fashion police! I can see their point but wool must have been useful in seasons where cotton fell short.
This is so brilliant what are you doing here? Thank you for the history that you’re sharing so clearly the music is a little bit in my ear but it’s well worth plowing through to hear what you’re saying. Thank you again love understanding and studying to see what you’re saying.
Concise little history lesson, thank you.
Where did frying vocal cords come from.
you are WONDERFUL FANTASTIC Please CONTINUE
This is a great setting for a movie
Loved and subscribed! Wonderfully done. Thankx