1840 Delphine de Girardin

French Striped Victorian Fabric

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

The repeating pattern features alternating warm brown and tan vertical bands, richly decorated with small honeycomb-like geometric details and delicate white quatrefoil accents. The result is a refined and versatile design with an authentic nineteenth-century character.

This balanced striped pattern is particularly suitable for:

• Early Victorian day dresses
• 1840s gowns and work dresses
• Historical and folk costume aprons
• Petticoats and underskirts
• Bodices and fitted jackets
• Living-history and museum-inspired garments
• Historical interiors and decorative projects

The vertical arrangement makes the design especially attractive for aprons and full Early Victorian skirts, while the small geometric motifs give the fabric an authentic period character without overwhelming the finished garment.

Custom colours and stripe width

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

Dedicated to Delphine de Girardin

This textile has been named 1840 Delphine de Girardin in honour of Delphine de Girardin (1804–1855), the celebrated French writer, poet, journalist and Parisian salonnière.

In 1840, at the age of 36, she was at the height of her literary and cultural influence. Her intelligence, elegance and important place in Parisian society make her a fitting namesake for this refined French textile design.

Historical source

The pattern is recreated from an anonymous Alsatian textile design dated 1840. The original gouache artwork depicts vertical reddish-brown stripes decorated with white pearl quatrefoils and offset honeycomb patterns on a tan ground.

Original artwork: Textile Design with Vertical Stripes Decorated with Quatrefoils of Pearls and with Offsetting Honeycomb Patterns, Mulhouse, Alsace, 1840.

Mulhouse was one of France’s most important centres for printed textile design during the nineteenth century. The original artwork was painted in gouache on paper and is now preserved in a museum collection.

The historical source artwork is in the public domain.