Gingham Throughout the Years

Carolyn Trainer
Aug 28, 2017 · 2 min read

A staple of the season and an American classic, gingham has worked its way into the wardrobes of many. From the preppy to the cool girls, it has diversified its audience a bit this season. While many see it as an Americana classic, its origins are widespread through a variety of cultures. For instance, in Africa the Masaï tribe used this checkered pattern as part of their national costume, while in Cambodia a similar gingham cloth was used in both decorative and practical senses. The United States also claims to have created gingham as it was used for centuries, but was important to the colonial America.

Gingham has seen its fair share of uses as well. Used as uniforms throughout the globe, bedding, and even for bistros or curtains at home, it as versatile as it is popular. In the 1920’s it was widely popular among young girls, giving connotations of youth. As the fabric was easy to work with and inexpensive to buy it become popular after WW1. Through the 40s gingham continued to grow in popularity due to the economic depression and war, forcing people to opt for simplicity; causing some symbolism today of a nostalgia for simple times and patriotism.

During the Youthquake of the 60s gingham’s connotations of youth and fresh style aligned itself with the youth’s agenda of stripping themselves away from their parents and society’s stuffy conventions.

Today, gingham is seen a classical simple staple, sometimes a bit preppy, but always allows someone to appear put together. While it is one of the trends of the season, gingham has and always will be a staple in my closet.

For a more in depth look into the history of gingham visit as this is where I found my information for today’s post: http://visforvintage.net/2012/09/11/gingham-fabric/.

)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade