Table Linen - Tablecloths and Napkins

The History of Tablecloths and Napkins

Dining originally took place on bare wooden tables where food was eaten by hand without cutlery. As tastes became more sophisticated and refined, the use of cutlery and tablecloths started to increase and by the end of the 12th century AD the use of tablecloths had become widespread in many European countries.

Tablecloths were used at first by the aristocracy who could afford such luxuries. When dining was finished, the tablecloth was then used to wipe the mouth and hands. By the 14th century, smaller squares of tablecloth material were being supplied t for diners to wipe their mouth with and the napkin was born. A gift of napkins was given to King Charles the VII for his coronation in 1422 by the city of Rheims which was known for the production of fine quality table linen.

As Tablecloths became more popular and more affordable so their use became more widespread. After the aristocracy, the professional classes, such as lawyers and solicitors, took up the use of tablecloths followed by the merchant classes. It followed that table runners were used as they looked stylish and gave protection to the larger and more expensive tablecloth underneath. Later, table runners were used that were made of fine material such as silk or linen. Brightly coloured or patterned runners also became popular as they enhanced a dining theme such as Christmas or New Year.

Tablecloths were originally made from Linen, but later Cotton became more popular. Silk also became popular amongst the wealthier classes. Patterned materials started to appear in the late 14th and early 15th century as weaving techniques and skills developed, with flower patterns being most popular.

Early tablecloths were quite thin and were often folded to give extra thickness before being placed on the table. Later, during the 1600's, an undercloth of lower or more coarse quality was placed on the table with the best quality tablecloth being laid over its top.

Until the late 1800s, tablecloths were mainly white/cream, or when made of more exotic silk had patterns such as flowers. In the late 1800's, Queen Victoria used many darker colours after the death of Prince Albert, which made the use of darker heavier fabrics popular with the public at large.

More recently, man-made fabrics such as polyester have been introduced. These fabrics have a very smooth thread which means that stains do note easily penetrate. This quality of stain resistance mean that fabrics made from polyester are far more easily washed and therefore they have become popular. Initially, polyester tablecloths did not look or feel like cotton, and therefore tablecloths with a polyester/cotton mix, known as Polycotton, were introduced. The weave allowed the polyester to form the backbone of the tablecloth giving it stability and stain resistance, while the cotton formed the surface of the tablecloth giving it a quality look and feel as if it were 100% cotton. For some time the combined qualities of Polycotton tablecloths has made them the populay choice for restaurants, banqueting, and people who entertain regularly.

A very recent innovation has been spun polyester. When used for tablecloths and napkins, spun polyester gives a feel that is remarkably like a quality cotton, but has excellent stain resistance.