1840 Marie d’Agoult

French Ombré Striped Fabric

A historically inspired fabric based on an original French textile design from the 1840s.

The design features elegant undulating stripes in blue, ivory and deep red. Fine linear details and delicate looping ornaments follow the movement of the stripes, creating a rhythmic pattern with a distinctly Early Victorian character.

Ombré in 1840s fashion

Ombré textiles became particularly fashionable during the first half of the nineteenth century. The French terms ombré, irisé and fondu were used for shaded colours that appeared to melt gradually from light to dark.

These colour transitions were admired for giving printed and woven fabrics greater depth and movement. By the 1840s, ombré effects were widely used in fashionable striped textiles, where the softly shaded colours were especially striking across the full skirts of the period.

In this design, the blue stripes have been given a soft ombré transition that accentuates their flowing shape and adds dimension without overwhelming the fine linear pattern.

This fabric is particularly suitable for:

• 1840s day dresses
• Early Victorian gowns
• Casaquins and fitted jackets
• Skirts and petticoats
• Historical and folk costume aprons
• Living-history garments
• Historical interiors and decorative projects

Custom colours and scale

The colours and scale of the pattern can be adjusted upon request. If you would like another colour combination or a different stripe width, please contact me before placing your order so that the design can be adapted to your project.

Named after Marie d’Agoult

This textile has been named 1840 Marie d’Agoult in honour of the French-German writer and salonnière Marie d’Agoult (1805–1876).

Born in Frankfurt to a French father and a German mother, she later became known as a French author under the pen name Daniel Stern. Her independent spirit and place within nineteenth-century European cultural life make her a fitting namesake for this expressive French design.