What does fichu mean?
A fichu is a woman's triangular scarf or shawl made of light fabric such as muslin, lace, or silk, worn draped over the shoulders and crossed or knotted at the front of the neck or bodice. The garment flourished in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when it served both a practical purpose — covering a low neckline for modesty or warmth — and a decorative one, adding lace or embroidery to a dress. Its name comes directly from French, where 'fichu' is the past participle of 'ficher', meaning to fix or throw on, a fitting description of how the scarf was casually arranged. Today the word appears chiefly in the vocabulary of fashion history, museum costume collections, and historical fiction rather than in everyday dress. Related terms include the chemisette, which filled the neckline from beneath rather than draping over it. For readers of Jane Austen-era fiction or visitors to costume exhibitions, 'fichu' names an elegant and instantly recognizable accessory of the period wardrobe.
nounA woman's triangular shawl or scarf of lightweight fabric, draped over the shoulders and crossed or knotted at the front of the neck or bodice; a garment fashionable chiefly in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- A woman's triangular scarf or shawl of light fabric, worn over the shoulders and fastened at the front of the bodice, especially fashionable in the 18th and 19th centuries.
"She pinned a lace fichu at her bodice to complete the Regency costume."
"A delicate muslin fichu softened the low neckline of her evening gown."
"The museum's costume collection includes several embroidered fichus from the late eighteenth century."
The standard English plural simply adds -s; it is pronounced identically to the singular plus a final /z/ sound.
"The costume archive holds dozens of fichus dating from the 1780s onward."
The word literally means 'thrown on' in French — because that's exactly how you wore one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fichu
The English word 'fichu' was borrowed directly from French in the eighteenth century, during the height of the garment's fashion. In French, 'fichu' is the past participle of the verb 'ficher', ultimately from Latin 'figere', meaning to fasten or fix — so the name essentially describes the scarf as something 'thrown on' or 'fixed on' the shoulders. This same Latin root 'figere' gives English other words such as 'fix', 'affix', and 'fixture'.
How fichu is actually used
The word is now largely historical or specialist, appearing mainly in discussions of period costume, fashion history, and historical fiction. The plural is usually anglicized as 'fichus', though the French-style 'fichus' spelling is identical in form.
Easily confused with fichu
In French, 'fichu' is also an informal adjective meaning 'done for' or 'rotten', whereas the English word 'fichu' is only the noun for the scarf.
A chemisette is a lightweight under-blouse filling the neckline, while a fichu is an outer scarf draped over the shoulders.