Initially baptised “papeline” in honour of the Holy Father for whom it was made in Avignon, poplin is a light and supple fabric where there are twice as many warp threads as weft threads. Once made of wool and silk, this material is today more frequently made in cotton.
Plastron
This piece of fabric, fixed or removable, was long used to cover the torsos of cowboys, cavalry officers, hussars and men of the world. Today the plastron shirt is no longer a sign of physical and social invulnerability, but continues – when worn with a tuxedo or tail-coat – to be an essential element in men’s wardrobe for the most formal of soirees.