Soutache is a braided trim used for decoration on clothing, upholstery, and drapery. It can also signify rank on military uniforms and is used in bookbinding. The braiding pattern is typically herringbone, and it can be used to hide seams or for decorative purposes. Soutache comes in many colors and materials, including silk, wool, and metallic threads. It has been used in traditional clothing from various cultures, including Russia, West Africa, and Mexico.
A soutache is a braided trim used to decorate clothing, fabric upholstery, or drapery. When worn on a military uniform, it often signifies the wearer’s rank. It is also a bookbinder’s term for the thin braid applied to the top and bottom of the inside of a book’s spine to secure its pages.
A soutache is most often braided in a herringbone pattern. Two strands are laid on opposite sides of one cord and starting with the left strand, it is laid over the center cord and the right strand. Then, alternating to the right, the pattern continues until a braid is formed. This design is called a French herringbone pattern. A Dutch herringbone pattern is when the strands are placed under the wire and the opposite strand.
The braided trim can also be used to hide a seam on a piece of clothing, as well as for decoration. Some modern uses for a soutache braid include covering the edge of a bridal veil or making bow or flower patterns on a piece of fabric. To make a loop pattern, the threads that wrap around the cable are unraveled and the cable is pulled down with one hand while the threads are pushed up with the other hand. This is done until a loop is formed. The design can be repeated and then sewn to the fabric by hand or with a sewing machine.
Soutache is a French word that is believed to have been first used in the mid 1800s. It comes from the Hungarian word sujtas, which means braid used for trimming. Another word for soutache is galloon, which is also French and comes from the 16th century. It is derived from gallonner and means to adorn or adorn with lace.
The threads used to make a soutache come in many colors and are often made from natural fabrics such as silk and wool. Synthetic and semi-synthetic fibers such as rayon can also be used, as well as silver or gold metallic threads. As military styles go out of fashion, you can see decorative braid adorning jackets and coats, as well as epaulettes, fabric or metal trim sewn onto the shoulders of a garment.
Cotton kaftans and tunics often have soutache embroidery as well, and have been traditionally worn by people all over the world, including Russia, West Africa, and Morocco. Mariachi uniforms, worn by musicians playing the music originating from Jalisco, Mexico, are also known for their colorful braided soutache designs.
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