Jacket and Shawl in chintz, with Skirt in glazed printed cotton

At first sight this costume, consisting of a jacket, scarf and skirt is a typical example of a chintz ensemble. It is hard to know if the wearer would have known that although the jacket and scarf are made in India and hand painted, the skirt is made in the very European technique of copper plate printing. Although best known for its use in so-called 'toile de Jouy' made in France from the 1750's mostly for interior decoration, copper plate printing was also used for fashionable dress fabrics. Often the main design was printed with a mordant in a copper plate press from a large plate. After dyeing the fabric and removind the excess dye, other colors would be painted in by hand. After 1750, when government policies on printed cottons were relaxed in France and England, local entrepreneurs and traders responded with the manufacture of local products. Printed cottons of that period were washable, and in an age when personal hygiene was becoming more important, this was not an insignificant factor. In addition to this characteristic, attractive prices and fashion appeal helped win printed cottons a place in contemporary culture. Jacket and Shawl: 1750-1800, Skirt: 1770-1800