Vintage Wednesday: Barkcloth

Recently I found a pair of curtains made of barkcloth. Barkcloth is a fabric that has a crinkled texture like the bark of a tree and takes it's name from a cloth popular at one time in Asia that was actually made from tree bark. You can find an interesting history of that here.

Barkcloth was a popular textile in the 40s, 50s and into the 60s. Vintage textiles often had tropical flowers or birds or abstract prints. Fabrics from the 50s often incorporated "atomic" designs. My favorites have bright bursts of color.

Barkcloth was often used for upholstering, curtains and accessories, but was also used in clothing. It can still be found in fabric stores today. The colors and patterns are still bold, but to me there's nothing like a vintage piece of barkcloth fabric.