The History of the Tablecloth (and Why It Still Matters)

From Roman feasts to family suppers — why tablecloths are far more than fabric.

Long before the fork became standard, before napkins were folded like birds, before we started Instagramming our Sunday lunches — there was the tablecloth.

For centuries, this simple cloth has done more than just protect the table. It’s signified celebration, status, family, and beauty. And even now — in our fast-paced, screen-filled world — the tablecloth still matters.

Let’s take a quick journey across time, and then we’ll tell you why we still make them, with care and intention, today.

🏛️ Rome: The First Draped Tables

The earliest known table coverings date back to Ancient Rome. Wealthy households used cloths called mappa to cover their dining couches and wipe hands and faces during meals. Later, tables themselves were dressed in woven linen — and these cloths marked status.

It wasn’t about keeping things clean. It was about setting the scene for connection and indulgence.

👑 Medieval Europe: The Table Becomes a Stage

By the Middle Ages, tablecloths had evolved into elaborate, ceremonial items in castles and noble homes. Made from heavy linen or fine damask, they stretched the full length of banquet tables and were cleaned and folded with the same reverence as altar cloths.

Each feast began with the ceremonial laying of the cloth — a ritual of hospitality.

🧵 The Renaissance: Art on the Table

As trade and textile industries flourished, tablecloths became increasingly decorative. Lace, embroidery, and drawn thread work were stitched into their surfaces — often by the women of the household. In Italy and France, beautifully adorned table linen became a symbol of pride and artistic skill.

They were heirlooms in the making.

🫖 Victorian Era: Proper Tables Only

By the 1800s, tablecloths were everywhere — and full of rules. A bare table was seen as uncivilised. Linens were boiled, bleached, and ironed to crisp perfection. Afternoon tea had its own cloth. Dinner? A different one. Sundays? Something special, of course.

The tablecloth wasn’t just fabric — it was etiquette.

✨ Today: A Return to Meaning

Fast forward to now, and we’re embracing tablecloths all over again — but for deeper, more personal reasons.

Not because we must, but because we want to create something beautiful. Because in an age of takeaway boxes and phone scrolling, a cloth on the table says:

“Sit. Stay. This moment matters.”

At Nic Brittin, we design our linens with this spirit in mind. Cloths that invite conversation. Pieces that hold memory. Textiles that get softer with each use and live on in family stories.

🧡 Why Tablecloths Still Matter

• They mark the moment — a cloth tells everyone: something’s happening here.

• They create atmosphere — colour, texture, and softness instantly transform a space.

• They hold memories — spills, stories, celebrations — it’s all stitched in.

• They become heirlooms — handed down, packed away, rediscovered. Loved.

As one customer put it:

“This is the tablecloth my children will fight over one day.”

📚 In Summary

The tablecloth has been many things: a status symbol, a canvas for artistry, a tool for etiquette. But at its heart, it has always done one simple thing — it’s turned a table into a place.

A place to gather, to nourish, to remember.

And that’s why we still make them.