Gingham

Gingham (Fr. guingan; according to Littre, a corruption of the name of the town of Guingamp), a cotton fabric manufactured chiefly for dresses. It is of a light or medium weight, and is woven from coloured yarns into stripes or checks; but the patterns, while preserving this general character, are endlessly varied both as to figure and colour. These being produced by weaving, the fabric differs from printed calico, some of the patterns on which resemble those of gingham. Genuine Earlston gingham still command a high price owing to their excellent quality, but they are now only made to a very limited extent, Glasgow and Manchester being the centres where this kind of goods is manufactured on a large scale. Cotton stuffs sold under other names, such as zephyrs and chambreys, partake of the nature of gingham.