Nearly 200 years ago, Dhaka muslin was the most valuable fabric on the planet. Then it was lost altogether. ... the French empress Joséphine Bonaparte and Jane Austen.

How Joséphine Bonaparte Launched Napoleon—Through Fashion. By Anne Higonnet. November 17, 2023 ... Muslin and cashmere were much less obvious than billowing lace or tiered ruffles.

Térézia’s ally Joséphine Bonaparte (formerly Rose de Beauharnais). The muslin of her barely there dress pools at her feet like mist (François Gérard, 1801). Alamy Stock Photo.

Anne Higonnet’s “Liberty Equality Fashion” elevates the role of Juliette Récamier, Térézia Tallien and Joséphine Bonaparte in freeing women from confining styles. June 10, 2024 More than ...

Marco Polo described the cloth in his book and said it was made in Mosul, Iraq, hence the name muslin, but it originated in India and refined to an art form by weavers of Dhaka (now in Bangladesh).

'Dhakai Muslin' is a GI product of Bangladesh, and it's not difficult to understand why. From Jane Austen to Joséphine Bonaparte, many other historic figures were very fond of muslin.