Known in English as “houndstooth”, and literally meaning “hen’s foot” in French, this iconic pattern changes namen when it scales up, becoming pied de coq. Its history weaves together nature, weaving techniques, and pop icons. A chessboard, usually black and white, on which fashion has been playing its game for years, perhaps millennia: between necessity and trend, France and the United Kingdom, aristocracy and punk culture.

Once upon a time in Scotland

The earliest known example of the pied de poule pattern is the Gerum cloak, dating back to 360–100 BC and discovered in Sweden in 1920. The motif was likely brought to the Scottish countryside by Vikings, where it was knitted using undyed wool: white from white sheep, black from black sheep. A reminder that patterns often originate from practical needs.

Paris runways, Dior, and the punks

Coco Chanel adopted pied de poule as early as the 1920s, but it was Christian Dior who made it iconic with his tweed suits. The motif also appeared as a graphic element on the Miss Dior perfume bottle. It was perhaps Jacqueline Kennedy who cemented its aristocratic status, wearing a famous suit during the 1959–1960 presidential campaign. Twenty years later, Diana Spencer brought it back into the spotlight, paving the way for punk culture to reclaim it, distorting proportions, intensifying contrasts, and pairing it with safety pins.

How is houndstooth made?

It originates in weaving, based on a twill structure with alternating light and dark yarns. Its natural habitat is tweed—a classic woolen fabric where the edges appear slightly blurred. In worsted wool or cashmere, the pattern becomes sharper and more defined. It can also be created as a jacquard in knitwear or printed onto fabrics.