History of textiles in Europe

History of Textiles in Europe

Ancient origin

The earliest clothing dates back to the Pleistocene prehistoric era, when the earliest hominid, Homo Heidel bergensis, wore the earliest clothing. Scholars believe primitive clothing dates back 100,000 to 50,000 years. Sewing needles date from 50,000 to 60,000 years ago around modern Siberia, South Africa, Slovenia, Russia, China, Spain, and France. Some of the oldest dyed fibers have been found in caves in Georgia dating back 30,000 years. Other textile artifacts, such as net gauges, spindle needles, and weaving sticks, were found in ancient civilizations dating back to the Common Era 5000 years ago.

Cloth and textiles became common in the ancient world. In particular, ancient civilizations in India, Egypt, China, sub-Saharan Africa, Eurasia, South America, and North and East Africa all had some form of textile production. Until the middle Ages, its two main types were known as the warp-weighted loom and the two-beam loom. These consisted of broad lengths of cloth beams with a cloth woven over them. In two-beam looms the full width of the loom is dropped or tied in place. The Bronze Age saw the rise of clothing production in India and the ancient Near East (around the present-day Middle East). Europeans used the famous Silk Road trade route that spread textile knowledge and materials from China to Egypt and then to Rome. The Iron Age proved to be an effective transitional period in the Middle Ages. Leather belts, woven woolen tunics and skirts, breeches, and robes were common attire. Leather shoes protect feet from the elements.

Medieval Period (about 400 to 1100 Common Era)

During the medieval period, clothing and textile production became prominent items due to the widespread use of dyes and prints. In early medieval Europe (about 400 to 1100 Common Era), dress styles depended on geographic location, fabric, and purpose. The Franks, Anglo-Saxons, and Visigoths wore practical clothing such as tunics, belts, visible trousers, or leggings. On the other hand, the Romanized population still includes long tunics and other traditional Romanized clothing. Silk and other imported fabrics became popular materials among royalty and the upper elite. Upper-class people wore dyes, patterns, and embroidered decorations on their clothes as a symbol of their wealth and status. In the feudal system, the lower and working classes wore undyed, plain, locally woven woolen goods.

High Medieval Period (about 1100-1400 common era)

In 12th and 13th century Europe, clothing was very common for both men and women and fairly uniform across the subcontinent. The traditional combination of short tunic with the hose for working men and long tunic with overdress for women and upper-class men was the norm. Most clothing, especially outside the wealthy classes, was little changed from three or four centuries earlier.

The High Medieval period (around 1100-1400 common era), witnessed changes in wool and dyeing processes. Although the lower classes still wore the same traditional, simple clothing as before, the Crusaders brought back the knowledge of fine textiles, Egyptian cotton, and silk. It proved to be very popular with royalty and elites who often wore Italian woven brocade or Ottoman or Chinese silk. Political and cultural changes in the Near East and Europe around the 1400s marked a drastic shift in fashion. Lace, buttons, curved seams, and rudimentary forms of stitching allowed for greater variation in clothing and style.

Renaissance and Enlightenment (about the 1400s to the 1700s)

From the 1400s to the 1700s, fashion increased in style and clothing as more people wore colorful and elaborate items. Although wool was still the common fabric choice, it became one of England's economic backbones. England exported it throughout Europe, and dyed wool came in many rich colors, such as red, gold, blue, and green. Silk weaving also increased during this time, as European countries became less dependent on Chinese or Ottoman silk and began weaving their own. Besides the aristocracy, other classes also started wearing luxurious clothes during this period.

Additionally, Europe was not the only area to capitalize on fabric and textiles during the Renaissance and Enlightenment. In Mughal India, muslin and other specialty cotton-based fabrics made up most of its international trade and about 95% of British imports from the area. It was so valuable that, in the 1700s, Indian cloth was shipped to America and the Far East. In pre-colonial North America, indigenous tribes used leather from natural plant fibers and animal skins to make their clothing. Early European traders valued beaver pelts, in particular, for their warmth and comfort.

Colonial Period and Industrial Revolution

In the 18th century, dresses were either worn as full dresses, to indicate formal wear, or undressed, to indicate everyday wear. Complete dresses for both sexes are made up of elaborate silk and embroidery. Still, men usually wore coats, waistcoats, and breeches, while women wore panniers and dresses made of printed chintz, cotton, and muslin.

Industrial Revolution in Europe

During the Industrial Revolution, fabric production was mechanized with machines powered by water wheels and steam engines. Production has shifted from small cottage-based production to mass production based on assembly line organization. On the other hand, clothing production tends to be made by hand. Sewing machines emerged in the 19th century to produce streamlined clothing. The 20th century was characterized by new applications for textiles as well as the invention of synthetic fibers and computerized manufacturing control systems. The changing lifestyles, activities, and needs of the 20th century favored clothing manufacturers who could more effectively make their products with desirable properties such as increased strength, elasticity, or durability. In the 2010s, the global textile industry came under fire for unsustainable practices. Most stages of the production process in the textile industry have been shown to have negative environmental impacts. Since 2010, investments in textile recycling companies have increased to scale recycling solutions to global demand, with Inditex backing textile-to-textile recycling company Circ in July 2022 or Goldman Sachs leading investment in mechanically recycled cotton company Recover Textile Systems.