Where does Grogram come from?

Grogram comes from France, first documented in the 1500s.

Plate No. 172fabric

First documented: 1500s
Origin: France, France
Fiber: silk, mohair
Weave: coarse corded plain weave, often gummed
Family: plain

Plate No. 172 · fabric

Grogram

Grogram is a coarse, stiff cloth of silk, mohair, or a mix of both, often gummed to hold its body. The name comes from the French gros grain, large grain, for the heavy corded texture of its weave. It was a common cloth of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for cloaks and gowns, sometimes stiffened further with gum so it would stand away from the body. The same root survives in grosgrain, the corded ribbon that is grogram's closest living descendant.

Named for

From the French gros grain, large grain, for the heavy corded texture of the weave; the same phrase, softened, gives grosgrain.

Also known as

grograine

Modern equivalent

The closest cloth in this catalogue you can source today.

Grosgrain →Faille →

Common questions

What is Grogram made of?: Grogram is a coarse, stiff cloth of silk, mohair, or a mix of both, often gummed to hold its body.
Where does Grogram come from?: Grogram comes from France, first documented in the 1500s.
What is Grogram named after?: From the French gros grain, large grain, for the heavy corded texture of the weave; the same phrase, softened, gives grosgrain.