Where does Faille come from?

Faille comes from France, first documented in the 1600s.

Plate No. 086fabric

Low, close crosswise ribs catch the light.

First documented: 1600s
Origin: France, France
Fiber: silk, cotton
Weave: plain weave, flat crosswise rib
Family: stripes

Plate No. 086 · fabric

Faille

Faille is a soft, flat-ribbed plain weave: fine warp threads bend over a slightly heavier weft to raise low, closely spaced crosswise ribs, giving the cloth a quiet horizontal grain and a subtle sheen. It sits between the flat smoothness of taffeta and the bold cords of ottoman, dressy but supple. Faille made wedding gowns, opera coats, and the grosgrain-adjacent ribbons and facings of fine tailoring, prized because it drapes more softly than its crispness suggests.

Illustration: a Parisian couture salon in the 1900s, bolts of lustrous ribbed silk on a long counter, a vendeuse at a distance, tall mirrors and gilt — A Parisian couture salon in the 1900s, bolts of lustrous ribbed silk on a long counter, a vendeuse at a distance, tall mirrors and gilt.

Named for

From the French faille, a word once used for a woman's hood or veil of the cloth.

Common questions

What is Faille made of?: Faille is a soft, flat-ribbed plain weave: fine warp threads bend over a slightly heavier weft to raise low, closely spaced crosswise ribs, giving the cloth a quiet horizontal grain and a subtle sheen. It is traditionally made of silk or cotton.
Where does Faille come from?: Faille comes from France, first documented in the 1600s.
What is Faille named after?: From the French faille, a word once used for a woman's hood or veil of the cloth.