Have you ever wondered why one of the most used fabric is called after a small British island off the Normandy coast?
Origin of the jersey
The first mentions of ‘jersey’ to refer to a textile product date from the 16th century. It referred to the navy-blue combination worn by local fisherman, which were renowned for the fine texture. Following its growing succes, the island, along with its neighbor Guernsey, started exporting this fine textile, first to mainland England, then further to the rest of Europe. The tiny island of Jersey was thus known for its high-quality textile.
Fine wool and texture were two properties that made jersey ideal for the production of stockings, which became a standard for the English bourgeoisie. The knitting technique from the island was then rolled out to other major industrial areas across the country, and jersey stocking became a norm. Mary, the late Queen of Scots who was executed in 1587, was said to have worn Guernsey stockings on the day of her execution.
The production of stockings on the island became so prevalent that the industry started to attract most of the workforce. Afraid that the land could be left out of cultivation, which could lead to famines, the authorities threatened anyone working in the production of jersey during the harvesting period.
In this period of wide commercial exchange between west European countries, Italian merchants from Lombardy acquired an expertise of knitting wool from worsted yarn. The story goes that a noble Englishman from London borrowed a pair of wool stockings from an Italian acquaintance. These made such a great impression to the locals that he decided to try and copy them. Worsted stockings thus became as common as jersey stockings.
Here’s to our collection of jersey: visit our store
Jersey remained used mostly for underwear until the early 20th century, when a soon-to-become-legend French stylist named Coco Chanel decided to use it. At that time, jersey was considered a ‘poor’ fabric. Coco Chanel gave it a new fame by designing a collection of dresses made of jersey, despite the public outcry. Colors weren’t plenty – there usually was only grey or beige. Moreover, jersey is easily shredded, which makes it great for dress-making.
Today, jersey is mainly made of cotton. It is widely used in the textile industry for shirts, t-shirts, dresses and sweaters, amongst others. And it is not produced on the Channel Island of Jersey anymore!
So what can you do with Jersey?
A lot of different garments can be made with jersey fabric. T-shirts, dresses, kid clothes or pajamas are really comfortable in this material. It comes in different thicknesses, and you will have to pick the right one depending on your project. If the fabric is thick, it will be good to sew hats, trousers or scarves for instance. If it is thinner, t-shirts or dresses will be ideal to wear in summer time.
At La Cotonnerie, we have a range of organic cotton jersey that will suit your sewing inspiration! Our cotton jersey is lightweight and stretch, which make it very comfortable to wear. It is also easy to sew – the t-shirt displayed below was finished within few hours! Perfect if you want a quick project!
