Cambric

Cambric is the fine, smooth, closely woven white linen of Cambrai, the original of the name that later loosened into chambray. Where chambray became a dyed-warp cotton, cambric stayed the crisp white cloth of handkerchiefs, fine shirts, and church linen, calendered to a faint sheen. It shares the soft-fine-cotton territory with batiste and lawn, and the three names have shaded into one another so thoroughly that the distinctions are now as much regional habit as fact. The handkerchief is cambric's monument.

Illustration: a convent linen room, neat stacks of folded white handkerchief linen on a scrubbed table, a nun at a distance by a window, cool pale light — A convent linen room, neat stacks of folded white handkerchief linen on a scrubbed table, a nun at a distance by a window, cool pale light.

Named for

Named, like chambray, for Cambrai in northern France; cambric is the older English form of the town's cloth.

Common questions

What is Cambric made of?: Cambric is the fine, smooth, closely woven white linen of Cambrai, the original of the name that later loosened into chambray.
What is Cambric named after?: Named, like chambray, for Cambrai in northern France; cambric is the older English form of the town's cloth.

Often confused with

Cambric vs Chambray →

Where to buy

Burnley & Trowbridge Co.
An 18th century reproduction textile and notions shop, stocking wool, linen, and cotton yardage for historical costuming and reenactment, plus in-person and online sewing workshops.
They also run sewing workshops.

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