The History of Tassels—Fitting Tassels Now Available on the Soft Star Website

Many of our fans may recall reading about our elves learning to make tassels at one of our staff playdays. Those tassels turned out to be a very nice product and have been sold on Etsy under the brand name Fitting ever since.

We've now decided to sell these great tassels on our Soft Star website!

Shop for Fitting Tassels

Did you know tassels have a rich, long history dating back to the earliest records of civilization. Read on to learn more...

The Origin of Tassels

Tassels. Flirty, decorative, decadent... but not new!

Tassels can be found going back thousands of years as a symbol of status, luxury, or luck. They are a universal adornment that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe.

In Egypt and Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, tassels were worn as amulets on headdresses to protect the wearer from evil spirits. Archeologists have unearthed tassels in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs dating back thousands of years. In Asia, tassels were used to adorn silk garments and tie off the knots of the weaver. In Europe, tassels denoted status in royalty, church and military dress.

The art of tassel making reached its pinnacle in 16th and 17th century Europe. It took 7 years of apprenticeship in the French art of "passementerie" to be trained in the intricate craft of weaving and tying elaborate adornments for the rich and royal. Hundreds of hours might go into the construction of a single tassel made with silk, wool, linen and precious metallic threads. Tassels from this period adorned pillows, draperies, carriages and thrones. Special tassels marked rank in both religious clothing and military uniforms. A single tassel could take weeks to make and cost thousands of dollars to commission. The tassel trade was scaled back after the fall of Versailles, and largely lost after the Victorian era when austerity paved the runways.

Tides of history change and tassels are now returning with full force as luxury fashion items. The focus today is not on ostentatious glitz or bling, but luxury as craftsmanship. Leather purse tassels can bring a playful energy to your handbag or a sensuous, luxurious feel to your key chain. Made at the Soft Star workshop, Fitting tassels use the finest quality leathers sourced within North America and is free from synthetic dyes and chemicals. We hope you enjoy our gorgeous collection of hand crafted tassels made by our experienced team of leatherworkers.