Monday Morning Mirth
Never one to be sidetracked by a little research (erm), I was very curious about
the origin of the color of one of my latest projects: Hessian.
Now, I had to wade through a bunch of historical links about eighteenth-century German regiments (who were instrumental during our Revolutionary War), but eventually I came upon some fashion references…
“The cowboy boot as we know it today, as an icon of the American West and the rough riding and spirited cowboys who wore them, is a style of boot actually born far from North America as part of the military dress of Hessian (German) soldiers in the 18th century. The Hessian boot was characterized by a high shaft decorated with a tassel at the front, which was cut at a v-shape. The tip of the boot was narrowed and it had low heels that were adapted for ease of use with the riding stirrup.”
This, although interesting of course, did not solve the mystery of color!
So, I went down the list and came upon this:
Apparently the Fusilier Regiment von Knyphausen unit had breeches made from straw-color wool, and the shade was named “hessian”.
But it was this modern interpretation that made the light bulb go on at Chez Chic:
Pumps by Mui Mui Spr09
AHA! Hessian is burlap (or jute cloth).
And that, roughly, is the color of my sweater!