Going Deeper: Paisley

We've all seen it. Its distinctive swirling, teardrop or tadpole shape can be seen everywhere from neck ties, shirts and scarves to wall paper. It's intricate. It's bright. It's often polyester. It is paisley.

For something so present in our world, I found that I know very little about it. Where did it originate? What does it represent?

The World English Dictionary defines it as "a pattern of small curving shapes with intricate detailing, usually printed in bright colors."

In her article, "Paisley: A Brief History," Patricia L. Cummings puts paisley's roots in the textile making industry in Persia, from 1501 to 1736. She says that at that time the pattern was referred to as boteh. Boteh is an anglicized version of the Hindi word, buta, which means flower.

Cummings goes on to say, that the pattern was later seen woven into shawls in the Kashmir valley in the Himalayas in the 17th century. It is believed that British soldiers brought back these shawls after serving in India in the second Anglo-Sikh War and their popularity spread across Europe.

With the demand for the shawls growing, the town of Paisley, Scotland became the first site to manufacture Kashmiri knock-off shawls on an industrial level, and from there the pattern eventually became known as paisley.

Over the years different areas have adapted the design to their own region. In India it commonly took on a drooping bud form and was known as the "Indian Pine Cone." In Europe it was commonly referred to as the "Kashmir Cone" and often took on the shape of a seed pod. In Russia, the design took on a more cucumber like shape. Cummings says, that over time, the forms moved away from region specific designs and became "more integrated with other fill-in, floral designs" eventually giving us the modern paisley design.

Recently, I was inspired while arranging my tie collection, and created my own paisley design, which is pictured above. (Side Note: I have a strange obsession with polyester ties. I have 18 of them, four of which are paisley.)