Where does Sateen come from?

Sateen comes from the United Kingdom, Western Europe, first documented in the 1800s.

Plate No. 020weave

First documented: 1800s
Origin: Western Europe, United Kingdom
Fiber: cotton
Weave: 5-end sateen (weft-faced)
Family: weaves

Plate No. 020 · weave

Sateen

Sateen is the satin structure turned weft-side out: the long floats run crosswise in the weft rather than lengthwise in the warp, and the cloth is typically cotton rather than silk. The floats give cotton a soft hand and a gentle luster it cannot get from a plain weave, which is why sateen dominates bedsheets. The trade-off is the same as satin's: exposed floats snag and abrade more easily than a bound surface.

Illustration: a Victorian cotton mill finishing room, cloth passing through great calender rollers, bolts of lustrous cotton stacked, steam and gaslight — A Victorian cotton mill finishing room, cloth passing through great calender rollers, bolts of lustrous cotton stacked, steam and gaslight.

Named for

An English alteration of satin, coined for the cotton version of the weave.

Common questions

What is Sateen made of?: Sateen is the satin structure turned weft-side out: the long floats run crosswise in the weft rather than lengthwise in the warp, and the cloth is typically cotton rather than silk.
Where does Sateen come from?: Sateen comes from the United Kingdom, Western Europe, first documented in the 1800s.
What is Sateen named after?: An English alteration of satin, coined for the cotton version of the weave.