Fabric

Clothes were usually made of cotton, linen, wool or silk; cotton being the least expensive and silk the most expensive.

Prints

Solid fabrics were used more often than any other single pattern. Geometric prints were very popular since they permitted the fabric to be turned upside down when reused and very economical as little fabric was wasted when matching prints.

Extremely large prints, especially in silk fabrics, were regarded as a sign of wealth. Other popular prints were abstract of floral designs on backgrounds, often separated from each other by an area the size of the design itself.

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[Article by Cassandra]