As I worked my way through several 18th century dye manuals I could not miss the reference to using natural dyes in calico printing. Calico is a simple name for many different techniques that involve the application of patterned mordants and dyes with the use of wooden carved blocks, or with pencils, or screens, Calico printed textiles are called chintz. The amazing books of Edward Bancroft and Berthollet can be purchased as reproductions and are much worthwhile reading. On top of this the books of E.A. Parnell and Crace-Calvert were crucial for my research. Soon I was sucked in the ins and outs of 18th century fashion, the economics behind the dyes, and; the how-to in a modern day setting.
The English were much enchanted by the colourful block prints they encountered in India when they first set up their trading posts for the East India Company in Surat (1619), Madras (1639), Bombay (1668), and Calcutta (1690). The cheap finely woven cottons were swiftly imported to England together with silk piece goods, indigo, saltpetre and spices from South India. There they found much favour as a cheerful alternative for the heavy wools and stiff linens of the time.
Block print patterns from a period book, click image for more details
The ruling fashion of puffy wide dresses with a narrow bodice helped the prints come out in their best and for the working class it was soon the craze of the day. The fabrics were so cheap and widely available, even the poorest of the poor could afford them, which certainly was not the case with the richly embroidered fashion that came before. By 1700 the value of chintz (the name for calico printed textiles) import overtook the total value of the spice trade (1). Growth in one field organically leads to a decline in another, and the wool industry saw a huge drop in demand. To protect the British industry the government first increased import taxes to a staggering 50%, while abandoning export duty on English woolen produce. In 1720 import of foreign chintzes was banned altogether, only to be allowed again in 1774. The French (where calico is called Indiennes) did the same but had a much harder time banning smuggled textiles from their land borders. How this effected the local block printing industry in India is a story for another day.
Examples of 18th century common dresses with calico printing;
Toiles Indiennes, calico prints for the French market ca 1750, images from this museum collection; (click image for more)