Where does the name Serviette come from?

Where does the name “Serviette” come from? As we move deeper into personalization and a cult of individuality, all we have to distinguish ourselves from others are our individual tastes. One of the strongest ways to define identity and taste is through scent.

But Serviette—despite being a conduit to be curious about one’s taste—also has historic heft. Prior to the development of contemporary infrastructure, the application of toilet waters on textiles served as an effective method to counteract unpleasant urban odors. More often than not, these were held over one's nose and mouth to mask the city’s stench. Scented molecules were easily retained in the absorbent pile, and often lasted longer than when applied directly to skin.

The name Serviette is not merely a term for a fancy napkin—used in Canada, a nod to my personal background—but also a symbolic representation of a pivotal moment in mid-20th-century British society, where the desire for upward mobility ignited a cultural shift in language and behavior.

In her anthology of essays Noblesse Oblige, editor Nancy Mitford argues that “serviette” is a “non-U word” while “napkin” is a “U-word,” meaning one invoked by the upper class. It is “perhaps the best known of all the linguistic class-indicators of English,” she wrote.

Over time, that has shifted. Isn’t it just so much fancier to say serviette? The name carries precisely the tension the brand is interested in: aspiration and class coding, refinement and subversion, the desire to leave a lasting impression while questioning who gets to define good taste in the first place.