What Is Cloque Fabric? Cloque vs Jacquard and Matelasse

Cloque is a woven fabric with a raised, puckered surface that looks blistered; the name comes from the French word for blistered. It is usually a double weave, and on a jacquard loom the blisters can follow a pattern. Erdem uses it for the Cloque Jacquard Draped Gown, part of our evening gowns edit.

Cloque sits inside a larger family of textured weaves, and the names overlap enough to confuse anyone shopping for a dress. If you are choosing a whole outfit rather than learning the cloth, our guide to jacquard dresses covers the wider category, and this piece explains what cloque actually is, how it is made and how it wears.

• Cloque, pronounced kloh-kay, takes its name from the French word for blistered, describing its puckered, three-dimensional surface.
• Most cloque is a double cloth: two layers woven together, with one layer drawn tighter so the other puffs up into raised pockets.
• Cloque jacquard is cloque woven on a jacquard loom, which controls individual warp yarns so the blisters form a pattern such as a flower.
• Cloque can be made from silk, wool, cotton and synthetic fibres, and from light organza through to heavier structured cloths.
• Erdem’s Holiday 2027 party-season drop includes cloque jacquard alongside velvet, satin cady and sequinned georgette.
• Textured fabrics like cloque hold their shape away from the body, which makes them well suited to fit and flare dresses and draped gowns.

What is cloque fabric?

Cloque is a textured woven fabric whose surface is covered in small raised puckers, so it looks and feels blistered rather than flat.

The effect is built into the cloth, not pressed on afterwards. Run a hand over cloque and you feel a gentle relief, the fabric rising and dipping across its surface. In some cloques the puckers are small and random, like crinkled paper. In others they follow a design, so a flower, a leaf and a scroll stand out in relief against a flatter ground. The texture catches light unevenly, which is why cloque often looks richer than its colour alone would suggest.

The word itself is French. Cloque means blistered, and in textiles it has come to describe this whole group of puckered, bubbled cloths. On a product page you will see it written as cloque, cloque jacquard and organza cloque, depending on the base fabric and how the pattern is woven.

How is cloque fabric made?

Cloque is usually woven as a double cloth, two layers stitched together during weaving, where one layer contracts and pushes the other into raised blisters.

In the classic method, the two layers use yarns that behave differently. One set of yarns shrinks more during finishing, and as it tightens it pulls the cloth in, while the other layer has nowhere to go but up. Where the two layers are bound together, the fabric stays flat; between those points, it puffs into pockets. The pattern of binding points decides the pattern of the blisters.

That is where the jacquard loom comes in. A jacquard mechanism lifts individual warp yarns, so the weaver can place binding points almost anywhere and draw a detailed motif in texture. The result is cloque jacquard: the blistered surface of cloque with the pattern control of jacquard. Erdem’s newest pieces are woven this way. The Cloque Jacquard Midi Dress is described by the house as having a subtle, rippled texture, which is exactly that effect at a fine scale.

What is the difference between cloque, jacquard, matelasse and seersucker?

All four have texture and pattern, but cloque is blistered, jacquard is a weaving method, matelasse is quilted and seersucker is puckered in stripes.

The confusion is understandable, because the terms overlap. Jacquard describes how a fabric is woven, so a jacquard can be flat, as with damask, and it can be raised, as with cloque. Matelasse, from the French for padded, is a close cousin of cloque that looks more like quilting, with softer, rounder puffs. Seersucker is made by weaving some warp yarns slack and some tight, which creates puckered stripes; it is traditionally a light summer cotton.

Matelasse jacquard shows how these categories blend. The Flower Jacquard Drape Midi Skirt is draped from midnight blue matelasse jacquard, a textured cloth embroidered with an ecru poppy with pleated georgette petals and glass fringe beading. Seersucker has moved beyond cotton too: the Satin Seersucker Draped Gown is draped from forest green satin seersucker, which the house describes as lightweight, with a halter neck and floor-length hem.

Is cloque the same as jacquard?

No. Jacquard is a way of weaving patterns, and cloque is a type of textured fabric, so a cloque can be a jacquard, while most jacquards are not cloque.

Think of jacquard as the method and cloque as the result. A flat jacquard, like the camel cotton jacquard in the Poppy Cotton Jacquard Fluted Midi Skirt, shows its poppy design through the weave without any blistering. A cloque jacquard uses the same loom to raise that design into relief. Another neighbour is crinkled jacquard: the Crinkled Jacquard Midi Full Skirt is made from crinkled jacquard, which the house calls a new fabric base, and it is digitally printed with a toile de jouy-style design.

How does cloque wear and drape?

Cloque has body: it stands slightly away from the figure, holds volume in a skirt and keeps a draped fold where it is placed.

That makes it a natural fabric for structured shapes. The Cloque Jacquard Midi Dress uses it for a fit and flare silhouette with a straight neckline, a slim bow belt and a centre back zip, fully lined. The texture stops the skirt clinging, so the flare keeps its line all evening. The Cloque Jacquard Draped Gown shows the other side of the fabric: a draped neckline with cap sleeves, a slim silhouette, a floor-length skirt and a matching bow belt, also fully lined. Both are in Forest Green and both belong to Erdem’s Holiday 2027 collection.

Lighter cloques move differently. Organza cloque is crisp and airy, so it creates volume without weight. The Floral Organza Cloque Asymmetric Gown is a navy organza cloque gown with asymmetric sleeves that appears to wrap around the bodice and waist before draping to the floor, printed with Art Nouveau-inspired poppies. The Floral Organza Cloque Asymmetric Midi Dress is the ankle-length version, with a detachable slip lining and a side seam zip.

A practical note on texture: raised fabrics are forgiving. They disguise small creases from sitting, and they do not show every line beneath, which is why designers like them for long evenings and for travel. They also add visual weight, so a cloque piece usually looks best with simple accessories.

How do you care for cloque fabric?

Follow the care label on the garment, and protect the raised surface from heat and pressure, since flattening the blisters is the main risk.

Cloque varies by fibre, so there is no single rule; a silk organza cloque and a wool blend cloque need different handling. What they share is texture worth keeping. Avoid pressing a hot iron flat onto the face of the fabric. If a piece needs refreshing, steam held a little away from the cloth, and work from the reverse. Hang structured dresses on a padded hanger with room around them in the wardrobe, so the surface is not crushed against other clothes. For lined eveningwear and embellished pieces, a specialist cleaner is the safest choice.

Which Erdem pieces use cloque?

Erdem uses cloque jacquard in its Holiday 2027 party dresses, organza cloque in its printed eveningwear, and cloque in patchwork and anniversary pieces.

The house has a history with the fabric. The Embroidered Cloque Jacquard Sleeveless Midi Dress is crafted from black cloque jacquard embellished with oversized jewels, a fabric first seen in Erdem’s Autumn Winter 2021 collection and brought back for an exclusive capsule celebrating the label’s 20th anniversary. It has a fit and flare silhouette, a ballet-inspired scooped neckline and hidden side seam pockets.

Cloque also appears in outerwear. The Embroidered Jacquard Gilet Coat is a waxed cotton coat with a detachable gilet in a patchwork of jacquard and cloque, and a threadwork label referencing ERDEM X Barbour Autumn Winter 2026. For texture without blisters, the Embroidered Textured Satin Midi Pencil Skirt is cut from smoky-blue textured satin woven with a metallic yarn, which the house says lets the fabric keep its distinctive surface.

To see how cloque fits into a full eveningwear wardrobe, read our guide to Erdem gowns, browse midi dresses and designer skirts, and see Erdem Christmas party and New Year’s Eve dresses for party-season styling. The collection story is in Erdem Autumn Winter 2026 and Holiday 2027.

When should you wear cloque?

Cloque suits occasions where you want texture to do the work of decoration: winter weddings, black tie dinners, galas and party season.

Heavier cloque jacquard is a cold-weather fabric in feel and in mood, with a richness that sits well beside velvet and wool coats. Organza cloque is lighter and works from spring through to late summer evenings. Because the fabric is already patterned in relief, keep jewellery simple and let one good pair of earrings and a small bag finish the look.

Frequently asked questions

What is cloque fabric?

Cloque is a woven fabric with a raised, puckered surface that looks blistered. It is usually a double cloth in which one layer contracts and pushes the other into small raised pockets.

What does cloque mean?

Cloque is the French word for blistered. In textiles it describes fabrics with a bubbled, three-dimensional surface, and it is pronounced kloh-kay.

What is the difference between cloque and jacquard?

Jacquard is a weaving method that uses a loom to lift individual warp yarns and create patterns. Cloque is a blistered fabric, and when it is woven on a jacquard loom it is called cloque jacquard.

Is cloque the same as matelasse?

They are close relatives, since both are double cloths with raised surfaces. Matelasse has a softer, padded, quilted look, while cloque has smaller, crisper blisters.

Does cloque fabric crease?

Cloque resists visible creasing better than flat fabrics, because the raised texture hides small folds. Heat and pressure can flatten the blisters, so avoid pressing an iron directly onto the surface.

Is cloque good for evening dresses?

Yes. Cloque holds its shape away from the body, so it suits fit and flare dresses, draped gowns and structured skirts for black tie, weddings and party season.