DEFINITING FASHION: Toile

Toile. Pronounced ‘Twaal’.

A toile is an early version of a garment, made when designers and seamstresses are testing out their patterns. Making the garment in totality out of a cheap material so that the design can be tested, tweaked and perfected.

Usually these practice garments are made of calico (a cotton-based material that is the industry go-to for toiles and dress making practice, or for learning design) but the word can also

Where did this fancy word come from? it’s literally the French for ‘cloth’, and was recorded in use as far back as the 12th century.

In the US you might also hear a toile referred to as a ‘Muslin’, again Muslin is a type of affordable soft cloth, so its just a borrowing if the word for the fabric to reference the tester item made in said fabric.