It’s no exaggeration to say that the Jacquard loom changed the world. Scroll down for a historic primer. So today I’m delighted to bring you an edit of elegant new jacquards plus subscriber savings on our entire jacquard curation, where you’ll find more in different colors.

Invented in 1804, the Jacquard loom used punched cards to automate the weaving of complex patterns, replacing the painstaking hand-work of skilled weavers and making ornate fabrics accessible beyond the aristocracy. But its significance reaches far beyond textiles: the punched card system directly inspired Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, was adapted by Herman Hollerith for data storage in the 1880s, and remained central to computing well into the 20th century. The Jacquard loom wasn't just a textile innovation — it was one of the earliest programmable machines.

Jacquard's journey from aristocratic interiors to fashion runway mirrors the democratization of luxury textiles. It began in grand homes as heavy drapery, upholstery, and tapestry — fabric for elaborate floral and architectural motifs. Through the 19th century it expanded into waistcoats, ballgowns, and ecclesiastical vestments; by the 20th it had become so synonymous with traditional sofas and curtains that it briefly felt dated. Fashion rescued it: Versace and Dolce & Gabbana embraced its opulence, and its structured weight proved ideal for architectural runway silhouettes. Today jacquard occupies both worlds comfortably — drapery and couture alike — valued for a rich, woven-in complexity no print can replicate.

"Jacquard" has evolved from describing a weaving method to describing a patterning method. Modern knitting machines use the same jacquard principle — individually controlled needles guided by programmatic precision — to produce complex, multicolored patterns in knit fabric. The name followed the technology, and thus was born the jacquard knit.

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