The moquette
initially rough on the surface of the skin, after a short while of use, the individual threads degrade in stiffness providing a soft surface which responds well to sweaty skin and provides much needed friction between the vehicle and the clothing, practically securing the commuter to the train or bus, and limiting the negative effect of any rough ride knocking the passengers about. The closed pile moquette unfortunately has a much lower friction coefficient than the open pile, but this seeming disadvantage also provides a softer surface, perhaps more comfortable for the commuter. However, it tends to flatten and lose its characteristic feel much earlier in its life span. Yet a closed pile is much more effective at preventing dirt from building up compared to the open pile which encourages sweat and grime to work its way into the material. While the closed pile moquette requires less industrial processing and hence is cheaper to produce; the benefits of cropping the top of the pile outweigh this – adding to customer satisfaction and to operational convenience. Most transport operators therefore choose to make use of open pile techniques. However, an interesting anomaly is found through Transport for London who make use of a mix between the two – primarily an aesthetic decision. The Jacquard weaving technique makes use of a loom which has the ability to control each individual thread which makes up the pile. 6 This allows for certain piles to be cinched tighter than others, and this in turn ensures that, after the cropping process, those piles remain closed. Additionally, each pile can be individually coloured, which allows patterns to be formed both through texture and through colour. Open piles are rougher and hence reflect light less well than closed piles and so appear darker. Closed piles have fewer gaps for light (and dirt) to fall into, and so they often exhibit more of a shiny finish. Transport for London makes use of both types of pile in their moquettes for primarily the London Overground, London Tramlink and the Elizabeth line. Such moquettes make use of thin grids of lines in closed pile. These provide a slightly more varied visually light texture which in turn complements and accentuates the coloured pattern on the material. Despite this, the use of closed pile on transport moquette is rare, and not only for practical reasons. Closed pile has minimal texture and depth compared to open pile, it produces a sheen which stands out visually, and it rarely fits in well with the architecture of any modern vehicle. A moquette must be designed to complement and not stand out (this issue is especially important to those with locomotion sickness where bright colours and sheens may induce nausea). The refractive properties of open pile respond well to different levels of light, being visually comfortable to look at in sunlight or in the shade. The pile of the moquette is woven into a cotton mesh called a backing. Usually only the piles are coloured, and these are dyed into a variety of tones and hues. This is where the moquette conquers (the very popular) vinyl, owing to the potential customization of its appearance. From the first moquette produced in 1923 by Firth Furnishings Ltd. , almost all moquettes feature an individual pattern designed to suit their function and need. This first moquette was named ‘Lozenge’ 7 and featured five colours creating a geometric tessellating pattern of regular shapes which was both neutral in tone and relaxing to the eye, expertly harmonizing with the environment of the buses it was used on. Another popular
6 London Transport Museum Ltd (2020) ‘Marvelous Moquette’. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/marvellous-moquette-london-transport- museum/xQXxGNYngn02Pg?hl=en . Consulted 13/08/25. 7 London Transport Museum Ltd ‘A history of moquette’. https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/design/history-moquette . Consulted 13/08/25.
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