The (printed) clothes make the man

The industrialization of cotton printing revolutionized even the most isolated communities in the Netherlands. The increased accessibility of printed fabrics to a wider public meant that these fabrics also became an important part of regional and traditional costumes in the Netherlands. Until the nineteenth century, wearing colored or printed textiles was a sign of pure luxury. After the industrialization, even the everyday aprons and beech could be made from nicely printed cotton fabrics. The list of examples gives us an idea of how the clothes worn in the Netherlands were influenced by the cotton printing companies. Images 3 to 6 give a good picture of this.

The kraplap, or breastcloth, depicted in image 7 is a good example of how exotic batik motifs even found their way onto the kraplaps of Dutch ladies in traditional costume. The motif is a Dutch cotton print based on a Javanese batik motif that was probably intended to be exported to the former Dutch East Indies. Another example of a batik with this motif can be seen in image 8. This batik was made in Java and was intended for the local market. This motif with graceful lotus leaves and pomegranates has its origins in eighteenth-century Indian chintz, which was also produced for the European market. An example of this can be seen in image 9. This Frisian regional costume from the eighteenth century is an example of the way in which exotic chintz was incorporated into exclusive and at the time very expensive local costumes.