Pleasing Paisley

​Paisley…you think you know what it is…fabric with those amoeba shaped thingies…or a pattern on a man’s tie…but are you really sure?  I confess that I was a bit in the dark about the exact origins of paisley before researching this post.  So, for today’s blog, let’s discover paisley together. 

My Greenhouse Fabrics vendor (https://www.greenhousefabrics.com/) says the following about paisley: 

• “The small weaving town of Paisley, Scotland, lends its name to the ancient Persian symbol. Although famous for their intricately woven paisley shawls, a variety of traditional patterns including plaids, stripes and beautiful floral designs were also crafted there.”

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Wikipedia (in my book, the fount of all knowledge achieved with just a few keystrokes) gives an excellent definition:

• “Paisley or paisley pattern is an ornamental design using the buta (Persian: بته‎‎) or boteh, a teardrop-shaped motif with a curved upper end. Of Persian origin, paisley designs became very popular in the West in the 18th and 19th centuries, following imports of post-Mughal Empire versions of the design from India, especially in the form of Kashmir shawls, and were then imitated locally.  Although the fig- or almond-like  form is of Persian origin, its English name derives from the town of Paisley, in West Scotland, a center for textiles where paisley designs were produced.The pattern is still commonly seen in Britain and other English-speaking countries with men's ties  but remains popular in other items of clothing in Iran and South and Central Asian countries.

• The Industrial Revolution, based on the textile industry, turned Paisley from a small market town to an important industrial town in the late 18th century. When silk fell out of fashion in 1790, the mills switched to the imitation Kashmir (cashmere) shawls called "Paisley". By the mid-19th century weaving had become the town's principal industry. The Paisley weavers' most famous products were the shawls, which bore the Paisley Pattern made fashionable after being worn by a young Queen Victoria. Despite being of a Kashmiri design and manufactured in other parts of Europe, the teardrop-like pattern soon became known by Paisley's name across the western world. Although the shawls dropped out of fashion in the 1870s, the Paisley pattern remains an important symbol of the town.”

 
Given the expanse of the British Empire 1700’s and 1800’s I guess that it makes perfect sense that the British brought the design from the East to the mills in Scotland and popularized this very interesting and universally liked motif. 
 
Paisley patterns can be either asymmetrical or symmetrical as shown by the beautiful selections from Greenhouse Fabrics below.  The motif is indisputably botanical in form, and is thought to have derived from a palm, pine, or cypress tree. I think all that you really need is the little squiggle to classify it as a paisley.   

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​It seems like both women and men like paisley since paisley fabric is used widely in both apparel and home décor.  For example, Here’s a paisley tie that is available from Amazon (like everything else in the world these days….)

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​Paisley works extremely well on upholstery, as shown on the chairs in my client’s recently redone living room:

​And of course, paisley is terrific on draperies, valances, bedding, and other soft fashions.   Here is a Milan valance I did for a client. 

​You’ll see the paisley motif in rugs too since it can really bring color and a splash of flair to a room. Paisley rugs in more formal spaces are usually a symmetric arrangement since it really raises the formality factor. In more informal rooms, paisley, in a non-symmetrical form, can bring out a bohemian look.

​Well that’s all for our brief paisley overview…a timeless fabric that delights with its curving form, like a versatile acrobat. It pairs exceptionally well with geometrics. Please consider it for your next design project!  Now that you’ve read this you’ll recognize this curved form everywhere…you’ll see……