A foulard is a lightweight fabric, either twill or plain-woven, made of silk or a mix of silk and cotton. Foulards usually have a small printed design of various colors. Foulard can also refer by metonymy to articles of clothing, such as scarves and neckties, made from this fabric.[1] In men's ties, foulard refers to the pattern rather than the material; it is a small-scale pattern with basic block repeat, also called a set pattern or a tailored pattern.
Foulard is believed to have originated in East Asia. The word comes from the French word foulard, with the same proper and metonymic meanings.[2] In modern French, foulard is the usual word [3] for a neckerchief. In Quebec foulard is also used for scarf (écharpe in France).
Ralph Lauren’s fashion industry success began with his importation of foulards from London to the United States.[4]
In 1989, a public debate over headscarves erupted in France when three Muslim girls in a state secondary school refused to remove their headscarves to comply with the school administration’s concept of secularism.[5] It became known as the “affaires de foulard.”[6]
Foulard fabric is also used in home décor wall coverings.[7]
