Terrycloth, terry cloth, terry cotton, terry towelling, terry, terry towel, Turkish towelling (formerly), or simply towelling is a textile woven with many protruding loops of thread which can absorb large amounts of water. It can be manufactured by weaving or knitting. Terrycloth is woven on special looms that have two beams of longitudinal warp through which the filler or weft is fired laterally.
The modern form, however, was introduced to the West in the mid-19th century. The English towel manufacturer Christy started industrial production in 1850, based on observations of handwoven terrycloth in Turkey, and produced using a machine designed by one of their staff, Samuel Holt. Queen Victoria approved the name "Royal Turkish Towels".
In the United States, they became popular after World War I.H.H. Smith, "The Unique Aspects of Textile Package Labeling", in Report of the 56th National Conference on Weights and Measures 1971, National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 358 (March 1972), p. 78
The origin of the word is unclear; it may derive from French 'drawn', and was originally used for uncut velvet, called terry pile or terry velvet. Oxford English Dictionary, 1911, updated March 2023 s.v.
It is the length of loops that determines how much fluid is absorbed by the cloth as longer loops provide more surface area to come in contact with and absorb the fluid.
Items that may be made from terrycloth include babies' reusable (or "nappies" in British English), , , and sweatbands for the wristband or headband. Terrycloth is also sometimes used to make sweat-jackets. Terry-toweling hats with a shallow brim were once popular with (like England wicketkeeper Jack Russell), but are no longer in fashion.
A slow method of machine-making French terry results in a soft, sturdy variety called loopwheel. Loopwheel machines can only produce one yard an hour. It was invented in the 1920s and was at the height of its popularity in the forties and fifties, at which point it was overtaken by side-seam manufacturing. Only two factories remain.
Another fabric used for towels is waffle fabric. A modern cheaper alternative is a short-loop tight-woven nonabsorptive (but somewhat Capillary action) fabric made of synthetic microfiber.
|
|