To mark the release of our coat in collaboration with ABCL, we tell you the history of the chevron pattern, from ancient Rome to today.
First stop: Antiquity. The process was invented by the Romans: it was initially used to pave the roads of the Empire, around 600 BC. This technique called
Example of an original Roman road
Result: a road that better supports heavy loads and requires less maintenance. These roads are so strong that some can still be walked on today.
The arrangement of the bricks is similar to the bone structure of a herring . The English also called the chevron pattern Herringbone . Which gives in French: herring bones .
Initially reserved for the roads of the Roman Empire, the chevron pattern was quickly declined into a decorative and ornamental pattern.
The Greeks used the herringbone pattern to decorate pottery because it is perfectly suited for circular decoration.
Athens, terracotta painted black (around 690 BC), attributed to the Painter of Analatos
In Ancient Egypt, elite jewelry was adorned with the chevron pattern.
The herringbone pattern is universal on the old continent. It is cited in several religious texts and today we find objects or clothing decorated with chevrons almost everywhere in Europe.
The motif gradually fell into oblivion with the fall of the Roman Empire, between 400 and 500 AD.
In the midst of the Renaissance, a prosperous period in architecture , the chevron resurfaced. At the beginning of the 15th century, the goldsmith Filippo Brunelleschi chose to build the Duomo of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore using the chevron pattern to solidify the structure of the dome.
This architectural feat will allow the chevron pattern to regain its nobility and become trendy again.
Beyond architecture, the chevron became widely used in textiles. Many traditional clothes from Northern Europe are made from V-twill fabrics, as in Ireland or Poland.
Archaeological remains of herringbone fabric, found in Poland.
On closer inspection, the elements of the chevron pattern look like roofs glued one after the other. It was at this time that the word chevron was used for the first time: it was the English who invented it, taken from the Latin caprio , meaning "roof".
One of the most famous uses of the chevron in France is in the François 1er gallery at the Château de Fontainebleau, installed in 1539.
Herringbone weaving began to be used in textiles from the 20th century. The industrial revolution and technological progress will explode the number of clothes decorated with chevrons. The pattern becomes timeless, just like gingham or tartan.
Tommy Shelby (from the Peaky Blinders series), happy owner of a superb set with the Herringbone pattern typical of the late 19th-early 20th century period.
From the 1930s, the American army used the chevron on its cotton canvas uniforms, and replaced the traditional twill with HBT (for
American soldier with his M1937 HBT uniform
It was also during this period that the chevron symbol was used to symbolize the different military ranks (to which other symbols were added depending on the rank).
U.S. Marines in 1919, members of the USS Pocahontas . We can see the chevrons on the edge of the petty officers' sleeves. Credits: Naval History and Heritage Command.
Inspired, the French army began to use HBT on its own uniforms, from the Indochina War to the Algerian War.
The HBT of the French Army, used between the 1950s and the 1970s.
After having its origins in Antiquity, the chevron is now an essential motif of the modern era and of classic men's fashion.
Originally, the chevron pattern was mainly applied to wool . Today, it is made from many fibers, such as cotton or linen.
We find the pattern on coats, shirts, suits... it's a subtle and easy way to add a pattern to your wardrobe, without dominating the rest of your outfit. It's the little unexpected touch.
