Afoulard is a lightweightfabric, eithertwill orplain-woven, made ofsilk or a mix of silk andcotton. Foulards usually have a small printed design of various colors. Bymetonymy, it can also be an article of clothing, such asscarves andneckties, made from this fabric.[1] In men's neckties, foulard is a pattern rather than a 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 inEast Asia. The word comes from the French wordfoulard, with the same proper and metonymic meanings.[2] In modernFrench,foulard is the usual word[3] for aneckerchief. In Quebecfoulard is also used forscarf (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 overheadscarves erupted in France when threeMuslim girls in a statesecondary school refused to remove their headscarves to comply with the school administration's concept ofsecularism.[5] It became known as the "affaires de foulard."[6]
Foulard fabric is also used in home décor wall coverings.[7]
