RIBBONS

Definition of ribbon by the OED: "A piece or length of fine fabric, such as silk, satin, etc., forming a narrow strip or band, used for decorative purposes, such as trimming a garment, or for fastening or attaching something."

1. Brief history

From what we know, the weaving of ribbons began as soon as the horizontal loom was introduced in the 11th century. There are traces of ribbons in the Middle Ages and even the Renaissance but the peak of its popularity began at the beginning of the Seventeenth Century, when the Dutch-engine loom was introduced, a loom that could make more than one ribbon at a time, not like the old looms did. These old looms were light and compact, easily worked. The new Dutch loom wove many lenghts of cloth simultaneously, had mechanically propelled shuttles and could be minded by one man. The first evidence of this machine in England was in 1610 and by 1636 a hundred of these looms were at work in London and had taken away job places from the people. In 1638 King Charles prohibited this kind of loom but it was difficult to go against this new wave of modernity. There were some protests and riots in 1675 and groups between thirty and two hundred people started to destroy the looms. The company that was in charge of the rising industry on one side were against these riots, but on the other they offered financial support to the imprisoned fellow members and they started a new petition to demand the suppression of the looms. However, he Parliament refused to take any action because they wanted to increase the popularity of the products made in England, disregarding any importation and any chance of major disemployment, moreover they did not want to discourage any other innovation.

The machine came down in price and it was slowly conquering all the working places. Eventually, in 1745, the looms became automatic.

The engine loom had a single wooden bar that moved numerous shuttles and allowed the production of 8, then 16, then 40 ribbons at a time. The introduction of this loom led to a transformation of silk ribbon weaving into a trade based on the putting-out system in which long distance merchants advanced thread and sometimes the loom itself to non gilded workers.

As stated before, the loom was introduced in London in 1610 but it was actually properly used from the last decades of the 17th century, either because of the apogee of Baroque court culture and thus the rise of luxury trade, or either the rise of the wages between the common people, and the resulting effect it had on being able to afford things that before they could not.

2. The ribbon industry in Coventry

In the 17th century silk ribbons decorated hats, dresses and underclothes of upper-class Englishwomen and by the 18th-19th century even women in the lower classes had them. The warwickshire silk-ribbon industry, founded around 1700, expanded steadily as the popular taste for ribbons grew and Coventry became one of the most important centre of silk-ribbon manufacture in Britain by the late of the Eighteenth Century. Ribbon weaving was the dominant market up until the rise of the bike and motor industries (19th Century).

Ribbons were made with looms, there were several types and at the beginning they produced one ribbon at a time until in 1770 (200 years later its invention) the Dutch engine-loom was also introduced in Coventry (by 1830 it went from 6 to 28 pieces of cloth at the same width). It was not yet a proper engine, it was still worked by human beings until 1823, when the first proper engine room was introduced. Thanks to the engine loom the industry was really prosperous and Warwickshire had the predominance in the sector even because the importation of silk goods was prohibited from 1776 onwards (otherwise english markets would have suffered). However, with the growth of free trade, also the investments towards this industry grew, out of fear of the competition. But, even these investments weren't enough, the Fench and Swiss producers were in control of the market and from this point onwards Warwickshire could only preserve the growing market for cheap ribbons in imitation of the expensive French ones. If we consider the big picture, it was not a bad investment for the industry because there was a growth in the number of looms and productivity.

The list of prices were very detailed but they only covered differences in breadth and type of ribbon, they did not deal with the infinite numbers of variables like quality of the silk etc.

3. Imported textiles

A proclamation, for regulating and encouraging of trade and manufactories in the Kingdom of Scotland. Edinburgh, the eleventh day of April, 1681

During the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century, many weavers of silk are starting to worry about their business because all the silk and textiles in general used by the people was imported and for this reason their trade and work was beginning to sink. The English textile production of ribbons, gowns and dresses was more expensive than the ones that were imported from other countries such as India or France, so people, especially the lower classes that could not afford silk dresses or ornaments, certainly looked out for the cheaper and convenient option. The imported goods were smuggled by merchants that just wanted to make money. This resulted in a disaster for the local weavers, it was such a disaster for them that they asked through written proclamations to the Parliament to stop the importation of foreign silk and cloth in general or to impose more duties, so people will be discouraged to buy from them and to encourage instead British exportation. 

                                                                                                                                                    (1689)

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However, not everyone agreed with the duties imposed on raw imported silk and stood up for the a reduction on the tax of the silk, in order to make it more fair for the other countries. In the document that follows from 1765 (we must take into consideration that it was published later than the other documents), the writer is invoking the importance of the industry of trade, and the positive outcome that reducing the duties will do to the English manufactory. Only by encouraging trade their industry and export will grow.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                            

4. Ribbons within the fashion trend

Ribbons variated in: fabric (satins, gauzes, pads, rayon, velvet, silk), texture (homogeneous or coloured) and width. Ribbons such as plain sarsnets, loves and satins were always in demand while other fell out of fashion. The ribbon market was seasonal, with summer and spring being the periods with more demand, depending on the changes in fashion, moreover, state mourning lead to a great demand of black ribbons.

 

1660-1700 

Men during the end of the 17th century used to wear the doublet, which sleeves were trimmed with ribbon loops, this until 1665. Later on, the vest and tunic became really popular and they were tied with a ribbon around the waist. The breeches were also trimmed below with ribbon loops.

Ribbon loops were also used from 1666 to 1700 to form shoulder knots (on the right shoulder for men, on the left for women).

 

Cocked hats were also trimmed with ribbons. 

Cravat or neckcloth ( fashionable from 1665-1730, unfashionably to 1770) was a scarf of linen or muslin, with pendant ends with border of lace. Later it became only ornamental and took the form of a stiffened ribbon loop which stuck out on either side from behind the cravat.

 Then full shirt sleeves became fashionable (until 1680), ending at the wrist in falling frills, frequently bound below the elbow with a ribbon tie.

Open breeches: ribbon trimming still popular among the fashionable. 

Petticoat breeches resembled a full, short divided skirt; they were lavishly trimmed with gaily coloured ribbon-loops forming a fringe around the waist and round the bottom of the leg, with bunches of loops down the outer sides. The amount of ribbon used for decorating was immense (i.e. 36 yards). 

For women the fastenings of the dresse swere closed at intervals by ribbon bows in front or behind. The echelle was a particular trimming of ribbon loops and bows arranged in row above row, sown from the centre of the stomacher.

 Ribbon bands were also used to secure the corset.  

For the hair, the wire support for the curls was called the palisade, and the curls often decked with bow of ribbons called “knots”. From 1690 to 1710 the popular hairstyles were the fontange coiffur or the tower or tour. Moreover, ribbon loops were used as hair ornaments on each side above the ear (till 1680); ribbon bows knots on both sides, often joined at the top of the head (1680-90) that than became  the top know, a large ribbon bow worn on the top of the head.