Lawn

Lawn is a fine, crisp, semi-sheer plain weave, originally the linen of the French town of Laon and now most often a high-count combed cotton. It is the crisp one among the fine cottons, where batiste is the soft one: lawn holds a press and a clean edge, which made it the cloth of bishops' sleeves, handkerchiefs, and summer dresses. Liberty of London built a fabric empire on printed Tana Lawn, and the bishop's lawn sleeve is why high Anglican vestments are still said to be lawn.

Illustration: an Edwardian summer garden party seen from a distance, women in crisp white cotton dresses under parasols, a striped awning and a long table, bright haze — An Edwardian summer garden party seen from a distance, women in crisp white cotton dresses under parasols, a striped awning and a long table, bright haze.

Named for

Named for Laon, the French linen town, not for grass: lawn the fabric is two centuries older than lawn the yard.

Common questions

What is Lawn made of?: Lawn is a fine, crisp, semi-sheer plain weave, originally the linen of the French town of Laon and now most often a high-count combed cotton.
What is Lawn named after?: Named for Laon, the French linen town, not for grass: lawn the fabric is two centuries older than lawn the yard.