Bouclé: History & Production of a Trend Fabric
What Is Bouclé?
“Bouclé” originally comes from French and means something like “loop” or “curl”. It refers to a fabric woven from yarns of uneven thickness. This creates a surface with small thickened areas – rather like little knots. Some yarns are finer, others denser, and bouclé often also uses different colours to create an interesting look. With bouclé fabric, then, the underlying novelty yarn is crucial to the final appearance. Bobbles or fringes are also often incorporated. Practical too: bouclé creases very little and is relatively hard-wearing.
Bouclé: French, Elegant, Feminine
Bouclé became famous in 1954, when Coco Chanel introduced the “Little Black Jacket” to accompany the “Little Black Dress”. The jacket was made from fluffy bouclé with small irregularities and knots. Since then, this look has been inseparably linked with the Chanel brand and gives its wearer that certain something.
Bouclé often uses looped yarn made from sheep’s wool, though novelty twisted yarn made from two different types of yarn is also commonly used. In principle, bouclé creates a thicker, warming fabric that is ideally suited to outer layers of clothing.
Today, bouclé is used not only for the “little black” look, but also for loose coats and comfortable jumpers. Even the patterns sometimes seen as rather “old-fashioned”, created by differently coloured yarns, make a strong fashion statement when combined with modern cuts. If handled skilfully, even lightweight summer skirts can be designed in bouclé.
Styled in different ways, bouclé can elevate a more casual outfit or fully embrace an elegant evening look. Today, people are more likely to wear one bouclé statement piece rather than dress head to toe in it – that can quickly look overdone and dated.
More Than “Just” Clothing
Elegant bouclé pieces are iconic – and yet are regularly reinterpreted. Modern cuts or small design flourishes keep even the classics feeling fresh. But bouclé is not only suitable for clothing; it can do much more besides.
These days, upholstery is also covered with bouclé fabrics – and this works best with clean, simple shapes. In this way, the fabric is perfectly suited to the popular Scandi style as well. Here, designers avoid bobbles or overly long loops and instead focus on the soft, fluffy effect.
Bouclé also shows its timeless elegance as a towel, bath towel or wash mitt. Combined with traditional patterns such as houndstooth, even bathroom textiles can become true designer pieces. In this way, bouclé is no longer exclusively feminine, but, thanks to its clear colours and its echo of classic suiting fabrics, is also popular with men.
Whether as a single eye-catching piece or as a coordinated set, the MÖVE BROOKLYN collection is not only a visual highlight, but is also especially soft against the skin thanks to the material blend of cotton, viscose and linen. Strong details such as the checkerboard hem or herringbone border further enhance its premium look. For the perfect mix-and-match effect, the smaller items, towels and bath towels are available in a range of designs and colours. Anyone who prefers a more understated bathroom can pair them with colour-coordinated plain pieces, for example from the MÖVE LOFT or MÖVE SUPERWUSCHEL collections.