“Goose foot”: History and varieties of the famous pattern from Scotland
This is one of those drawings proving that fashion is cyclical, it has the ability to rapidly gain popularity and just as quickly go out of fashion.
"Goose foot" came to us from Scotland.
Although the remains of woolen fabrics decorated with a “goose foot” were later found by archaeologists in many Scandinavian burial grounds, this ornament is often found in 12th-century British churches and even in elements of Venetian architecture.
A simple pattern is similar to the front fangs of a dog (in the English houndstooth) or the prints of goose paws (in the French pied-de-poule). Masters achieve this effect by special cross-weaving of white and black threads. The result is a light and, in comparison with tweed, a smoother canvas with a torn abstract cell. It is interesting that аbout a man wrapped in such a woolen cloth, one could safely say that he does not belong to any particular clan, but maintains neutrality.
Thе "goose foot" came into fashion at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Adopting the "neutral code", sewn between black and white dog fangs, the Scots have made this ornament a part of their image. Аmong the figures and secular fashionistas who wore this ornament was the Prince of Wales, who wore a “goose foot” in the first half of the 20th century.
One of the first women to love this print and make it popular was Coco Chanel. Since the 30s of the XX century, she began to complement her collections with dresses and suits with this pattern. However, officially the “goose foot” fell into the fashion world with the filing of another great couturier. In 1948, Christian Dior used a Scottish ornament to sew some patterns from his spring-summer Haute Couture collection. Since then, new-look houndstooth images have become the brand's hallmark. And ten years later, the famous French shoe designer Roger Vivier created the legendary small black & white checkered boats for the Christian Dior house.
The stereotyped perception of this type of cage was only broken at the beginning of the XXI century, when the brands Marc Jacobs, Salvatore Ferragamo, Emporio Armani and Louis Vuitton began to produce clothes and accessories, all dotted with a “foot”. Meanwhile, the ornament began to decorate things that were not quite familiar to him. For example, Vans, Nike and Converse sneakers.
Current fashion trends make it possible to forget theories of the right combinations. This season, designers in their collections presented both its large-sized variations and a small pattern. Gucci and Chanel decorated gingerbread suits with wool, and Balmain placed a pattern on a man's denim jacket. In this season, сombine a classic print with leather items and rude boots in one look or mix with predatory prints.
