Where does Grosgrain come from?

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

Plate No. 055fabric

First documented: 1600s
Origin: France, France
Fiber: silk, polyester
Weave: plain weave, heavy weft rib
Family: stripes

Plate No. 055 · fabric

Grosgrain

Grosgrain is a firm, ribbed cloth, most familiar as ribbon: a fine, dense warp bends around a much heavier weft, raising the pronounced crosswise ridges that give the fabric its name and its strength. The rib makes grosgrain stiff along its length and almost impossible to tear, which is why it binds hat brims, backs button plackets, and ties formal shoes. It is the engineering ribbon of the trimmings world, where satin ribbon is the decorative one.

Illustration: a milliner's workshop, wooden hat blocks in rows, spools of ribbed ribbon, a half-banded hat brim on the bench — A milliner's workshop, wooden hat blocks in rows, spools of ribbed ribbon, a half-banded hat brim on the bench.

Named for

From the French gros grain, coarse grain, for the prominent crosswise rib.

Common questions

What is Grosgrain made of?: Grosgrain is a firm, ribbed cloth, most familiar as ribbon: a fine, dense warp bends around a much heavier weft, raising the pronounced crosswise ridges that give the fabric its name and its strength. It is traditionally made of silk or polyester.
Where does Grosgrain come from?: Grosgrain comes from France, first documented in the 1600s.
What is Grosgrain named after?: From the French gros grain, coarse grain, for the prominent crosswise rib.