Brocade fabric is less of a fabric and more of an art. It holds subtle artistry where history, culture, and elegance float in a silky background. It used to be a secret fabric of China. The rest of the world had no clue how it was made. Even today, it is arguably one of the most beautiful fabrics created on this planet.

Hi there, we are Team Muslin Dhaka. We are a group of fashion designers, fabric experts, and marketers. After a lot of research and experiments, we can’t wait to share the fascinating stories of Brocade.

In this article, first, we will share the rich history of brocade fabric, then explain all the amazing features, types, sustainability, care guides, and more. With our 40+ years of cumulative experience, we can easily trigger your buttons of wonder.

Let’s hit the road.

What is Brocade Fabric?

Brocade fabric is an artistically woven knit fabric containing detailed designs, floral patterns, or animals. It was first made in China. Historically, brocade is made with high-quality mulberry silk. The brocade pattern and art were created with golden or silver threads, peacock feathers or other exotic materials. 

But as the brocade was available to the rest of the world, brocade wool fabric, brocade cotton fabric, and linen brocade became available. Different types of brocade have different characteristics. But they are all focused on creating artistic designs. However, silk fabric is the best and its beauty can not be compared with any other.

Industrial Name	Brocade fabric.
Origin	China.
Other Names	Yunjin
Construction	Design floats as weft on twill or satin weave.
Weight	Light to medium. Depends on the material.
Color	Colorful.
Airflow	Usually low.
Moisture Absorbance	Low.
Weaving	Satin or twill.
Stretch	No.
Heat Insulation	Medium.
Shrinkage Ratio	Not applicable.
Usage	Dresses, upholstery, decoration.

 

A Brief History of Brocade Fabric

Ancient brocade

The history of brocade fabric takes us back to ancient China. The fabric was made by hand and loom. The design process required hard-to-master skills and a lot of time. The skillful they weaved the better the brocade fabric. While researching brocade, I came upon a folk tale about brocade. It is in Chinese literature, culture & history. 

The earliest evidence was found in a temple in China. It was from 475–221 BC. This period is also called the Warring States period. However, researchers believe the technique was developed in India around 1700 to 500 BC.  

As we already mentioned, the production of silk brocade was one of the most sensitive secrets of ancient China. Around 600 AD, the secret was revealed by the Byzantines. They smuggled the techniques & materials. Then started their own brocade fabric. 

In India and Bangladesh, a kind of glittering brocade was produced. Those brocades were different from Chinese ones. Those were called “Jori brocade”

The fabric was used to reach the rest of the world through the Silk Road. In that time, brocade fabric was regarded as a luxury, and only aristocrats could buy it.

Middle age

Later, Italy started producing quality brocade fabrics with silk. The fabric played a crucial role in the Italian Renaissance. They were called Italian broccato.

The production process of brocade was painstakingly slow and subtle. Days passed by just to weave a few inches of the fabric. Also, the loom used for brocade was very heavy. In the Middle Ages, It was so popular that production started in some parts of Europe and Australia. 

Modern Brocade

After the Jacquard loom was invented in the 1800s, the production process became a hundred times easier than before. In the later part of the twentieth century, computerized jacquards became available, and the production became even simpler.

However, with all the technology and automation, it is still hard to produce and takes more time than other fabrics.

In today’s world, brocade is one of the most fashionable fabrics. It is pretty popular among fashion shows, celebrities, weddings, and many other mainstream trends. Brocade is always a fabric of attraction!

How is Brocade fabric made?

Humans are pretty irrational when it comes to art. They can’t wait 5 minutes for the bus, but can work on fabric for 5 months to create beauty. Brocade is one of the fabrics that can actually take that much time.

Historically, all brocade was made by hand and loom— thread by thread. But now those days have long gone. You just need to set the design on the computer. Feed the machine with proper yarn, and the machine will do the rest for you. That’s the modern automated Jacquard loom.

The fabric is a cultural heritage and holds the history of ancient China. That is why some of the people in China hold the old tradition and follow it in the ancient way. Those are luxury, and a few yards can cost up to 1000$. Like brocade, Dhaka Muslin is also a heritage luxury costing 1000$ or more per yard. Even today, No machine or ai can make 500 thread counts of ancient Dhakai Muslin.

Now let’s discuss the detailed production process of brocade fabric.

Technique of Brocade Weaving

In brocade, the fabric is made with a twill weave or satin weave. It works like a background of the fabric. The design is made with extra weft thread that is woven in a specific position. The additional weft is often colorful. The thread often needs to change due to design. Unlike damask, the design is not part of the actual weaving. It is just for the design. That is why the patterns and designs are raised and have a floating appearance. 

The fabric has two sides— the front side and the back side. The front contains the design, and the back side is often messy and not as attractive. However, fashion designers often use both parts for uniqueness. 

Dyeing the yarn

Dyeing the yarn is an important step in brocade fabric. As brocade’s beauty depends on its color and design, the dye needs to be rich and perfectly done.

Weaving

In the weaving step, yarn is fed into the loom. In a handloom, one needs to do the weaving process manually. In an automated Jacquard loom, the design and measures are set in the computer.

What are the types of Brocade Fabric?

Silk is the signature material for brocade fabric. Other types were invented later. Let’s go through all the brocade fabric types.

• Silk brocade:

Silk brocade is lustrous, smooth, and shiny. In the beginning, silk was the only material for brocade. It’s not only artistically beautiful but also comfortable to wear. Silk is also very natural and has the least or no environmental impact.

• Wool brocade:

Wool brocade is different from the others. It’s thicker and has a less dramatic design. Sweaters, shawls, and other winter clothes are made with wool brocade. 

• Cotton brocade:

Cotton brocade is not as cool as silk. But it can come with a complex design. It’s less smooth and shiny. But it’s more suitable for regular use. Nowadays. Production of cotton brocade is more common. It’s less expensive, too.

• Mix brocade:

Mix brocade is made with a cotton and silk blend. It is also called himru brocade. It carries mixed characteristics of both silk and cotton brocade. 

• Synthetic brocade:

Synthetic brocade is made of polyester and other types of synthetic yarn. It’s more durable and low-maintenance. However, synthetic materials do not carry the real characters of actual brocade. Often, it can cause environmental pollution. 

• Continuous brocade:

In continuous brocade, the leftover design thread is left hanging in the back. It often looks messier in the back. The threads from the back can be cut off.

• Discontinuous brocade:

The leftover threads of discontinuous brocade are used to create more designs. No hanging thread and no cutting off.

Characteristics of Brocade fabric

Describing the characteristics of brocade fabric is challenging. Should we describe the silk one, which is actual brocade, or the cotton one, which is more common? There are other types, too. However, there are some common characteristics that we can discuss along with the main type. Let’s start.

Appearance

The appearance of brocade fabric is shiny, vivid, and beautifully complex. It can often have a floral repeating pattern. It may also contain non repeating patterns with an art theme. The color used in the brocade fabric also has a major role in its appearance.

When the background and design color contrasts, it looks more dramatic and attention-grabbing. If the colors are close, like off-white design on a white background, they create simplistic beauty.

Silk brocade is stunningly beautiful, both in eye and touch. Cotton ones can also be excellent, depending on quality and design. But they do not reach the level of silk beauty.

Softness

Brocade fabrics are meant to be soft and smooth. The floating design may add some texture, but that does not ruin the softness. Some brocade fabric can also be crisp. Silk is the softest brocade. Other materials like cotton, linen, and wool show their own nature.

Yarn quality

Yarn quality determines the actual quality of the fabric. There are different grades of yarn for all types of textiles. A grade of mulberry silk is used to make the most lustrous and expensive brocade. Premium quality cotton brocade lasts a long time. Brocade can be made with luxury wool like cashmere or vicuna.

Breathability

Usually, satin weave is used to make silk brocade. The waving enhances the softness and shininess while allowing a lot of air to pass. Twill weave is also used for cotton and wool brocade. Those are less breathable for their compact nature. 

Heat absorption

Brocade fabric does not usually absorb a lot of heat. You can easily wear a silk brocade dress in summer. Wool and cotton absorb more heat than silk. 

Stretch

Brocade has a low stretch. For other fabrics, there are stretchy versions but not for brocade. The stretch is not suitable for designer fabric. Trying to stretch can damage the design.

Water absorption

Brocade fabric has a medium water absorption. However, it’s not the type of fabric you will want to dance in the rain.

Transparency

Brocades are not meant to be transparent. However, some of the types of brocade may pass more light than others.

Shrinkage

Silk brocade does not shrink, while cotton shows its usual 5-7% shrinkage rate.

Durability

Brocades are considerably durable if you maintain them well. But they are very prone to pulls and damage. You must be careful with your jewelry, nails, and while ironing. (More on care guide)

Color retention

Brocade yarns are dyed with high-grade color. It’s meant to be colorful. So they retain color with proper care and maintenance.

Brocade Fabric and Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability is often a complex topic. It’s not different for the brocade fabric. Usually, silk brocade is the most sustainable option. Silk requires less water, no pesticides, and has great degradability. Cotton is probably the least sustainable as it requires fertilizer, pesticides, and water– a lot of water. However, there are natural ways to cultivate cotton. Wool brocade has other problems. It’s sustainable in a way that it regrows on the animals every year. However, it often involves animal cruelty.

Remember the largest part of sustainability is in your hands. If you use a fabric for long enough, any fabric becomes sustainable. Also, you can donate the fabric for recycling.

Uses of Brocade Fabric

The beauty of brocade makes it fit in many places. Brocade is number one in designer dresses like gowns, traditional dresses, scarves, fashion fabric, evening wear, textiles, wedding dresses, etc. Pajamas and fancy suits are often made with brocade. Many large brands have a special interest in stylish, trendy brocade dresses.

Brocade is also used for home decoration. It is used as wallpaper, tablecloths, curtains, wall hangings, etc. Durable brocades are often used as sofa and chair covers. Different types of brocade fabrics are also used for pillow covers, bedding, and accessories like bags and hats.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Brocade Fabric

Let’s go through the main points of the pros and cons of brocade fabric.

Advantages

• Comes with complex artistic patterns.
• Infinite variations.
• Smooth and textured.
• Timeless brocade designs.
• Fits with most styles.
• Reflects good taste.

Disadvantages

• Expensive.
• Need extra care.
• Usually not DIY washable.
• Prone to pulls and swags.
• It may lose its shine if not maintained well.
• Looks very dull when faded.

Brocade vs Damask

Brocade and damask may create confusion, but they are totally different fabrics with different weaving techniques. In brocade, the designing materials float over the weaving. In damask fabric, the design does not float; it is part of the weaving. Brocade is usually more complex and beautiful in general. Damask mostly contains repetitive patterns. 

They are both woven on a jacquard loom, also known as jacquard fabric.

Brocade vs Embroidery

Brocade and embroidery look similar in untrained eyes. But they have distinct characteristics and production techniques. In brocade, the design is part of the weaving. In contrast, embroidery includes stitching the design with needles. Brocade has a front and back side, while embroidery may or may not have the same characteristics.

How to care for Brocade fabric?

The caring part of the brocade fabric is not very straightforward. Let’s discuss only silk. Other ones are not as complicated. Here are some guides you need to follow for Brocade fabric.

• Brocade is not suitable for machine washing. The rotational movement may cause damage to the design.
• Dry or professional washing is the best for expensive brocade.
• You can hand wash brocade fabric carefully with a natural detergent.
• Do not dry or hang it in direct sun. Keep it over a towel in a windy shade.
• These fabrics are sensitive to heat and sunlight, so minimize sun exposure.
• Store it in a cool, breathable, dark storage. You can use tissue paper or folded paper to minimize the folding damage. It happens if you store for a long time.

Brocade Fabric by the yard

As an artistic fabric, brocade fabric does not have a price threshold. Regular and standard ones start around 10$-50$ per yard. More artistic ones can cost over 100$. There is no range. If you want to buy traditional Chinese handmade brocade fabric, you may need to spend up to a thousand dollars.

Where can you buy Brocade Fabric?

Brocade fabric is available in every fabric market, but high-quality ones are not that common. There are some dedicated brands for brocade. Marketplaces also contain some solid options. But finding the quality ones can be confusing. Here are some good ones you can consider.

• Sedona Designz, Inc.
• vestmentsliturgical
• Fashion Lace
• Craft Nations

FAQ

How do I know if my fabric is brocade?

Easy. The design of the brocade fabric will contain floating yarn. Flip the fabric, there will be a wrong side with no design.

What fabric is similar to brocade?

Damask fabric can often be as good as brocade. There are other designer fabrics too.

How do you cut brocade fabric?

It is not recommended to cut brocade fabric with scissors, as it can ruin some designs. Instead, use a Rotary Cutter.

Conclusion

If you admire beauty, you must love brocade. Its rich history expresses our deep craving for art and aesthetics. It shows how far we can go to create beauty. Undoubtedly, it’s one of the most exotic fabrics on earth. 

 We enjoyed sharing the amazing story of brocade fabric. Hope you love it. Wanna buy the best brocade ? Try our shop section, Etsy or Amazon.