Gabardine was invented in 1879 by Thomas Burberry, of the renowned Burberry house of fashion. He drew inspiration for his versatile, protective fabric from two sources. The first was a garment from the Middle Ages called a gaberdina. It's a long, loose cape-like wrap that was typically worn over clothing in an effort to protect one from the harsher elements.

The second source was the linen smocks that shepherds and farmers wore to keep cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. Burberry applied all of these ideas to his new fabric, which he called gabardine. The material was constructed from worsted wool that was tightly woven to create one smooth side and one diagonally ribbed side. It was weatherproof and multi-seasonal, and wonderfully breathable.

Burberry used the gabardine to make variety of items, such as twill suits, trousers, and raincoats. Many of these items are still popular in gabardine today.

Between 1911 and 1924, many polar explorers donned Burberry clothing for their harrowing treks. Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton, who led an expedition across Antarctica, wore gabardine garments. George Mallory was wearing a Burberry jacket when he attempted to climb Mount Everest.

Over the years, gabardine blends were introduced. These blends helped to broaden the variety of weights and fibers available. The addition of cotton and synthetic fibers gave the blends a high sheen that appealed to women's fashions like suits, jackets, and skirts. And, during the rock n' roll era of the 1940's and 50's, the popularity of gabardine shirts and jackets soared as stars such as Elvis and Carl Perkins began wearing them.

As well as making its way into haute couture, Gabardine has also made its way into pop culture. Indigo Swing, System of a Down, and even Simon & Garfunkel have referenced the fabric in their songs (She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy; I said "Be careful his bowtie is really a camera.").

When embroidering on gabardine, it's important to take into account the draping of the fabric. While the twill weave has a beautiful drape to it, some gabardine items such as skirts and pants will have more fluidity than a jacket lapel or pocket.

Keep this in mind when choosing your embroidery design. Light and open designs will allow better draping than a more complex design. Save designs with higher stitch counts for areas where draping is less important, such as lapels or pockets.

For the skirt to the left, I chose the Art Nouveau Hummingbird designs. They're nice and open, and permit excellent movement of the fabric.