Toiles and Sample Garments

Christian Dior Toile, Made in Paris, 1954. Image from the V&A Collections».

If you’ve ever read an interview with a designer where they mention the word “toile”, then they are effectively talking about the prototype versions of their collections. Toiles are the test version of a garment before a designer makes it in the real fabric.

By making designs in plainer, cheaper fabrics first it gives the designer a chance to test the pattern, the fit, the design lines and proportion without ruining expensive fabrics, and also means that the design can be viewed in it’s purest form before print and colour distract away from any possible construction issues.

Often the fabric used for toiling is called calico, a cheap and readily available form of cotton which has not been wholly processed. Due to the fact that calico is unbleached it has an uneven appearance and a creamy colour. It is also easy to make correction markings on so that designers can redraw design lines, and do other fitting changes such as cutting into fabric or pinching small amounts out. All these alterations are then relayed back onto the pattern so that a new toile of the garment can be cut and tested.