Balbriggan was a type of
hosiery
Hosiery, (, ) also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the foot, feet and human leg, legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also ...
fabric. It was a finely
knitted
Knitting is a method for production of textile fabrics by interlacing yarn loops with loops of the same or other yarns. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine.
Knitting creates stitches: ...
cotton
Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
cloth
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...
predominantly used for men's underwear. Originally it was made of unbleached
Egyptian cotton that imparts natural coloured tones such as dark cream and tan.
The fabric's name refers to the town in which it was manufactured,
Balbriggan
Balbriggan (; , ) is a suburban coastal town in Fingal, in the northern part of County Dublin, Ireland. It is approximately 34 km north of the city of Dublin, for which it is a commuter town. The 2022 census population was 24,322 for Bal ...
in Ireland. The town prospered as a result of the fabric's production.
Structure
Balbriggan was a knitted fabric structure produced with a plain stitch on circular
knitting machines. It was a lightweight fabric with a napped back on occasion.
Use
Balbriggan was initially used for men's undergarments, later used in outerwear garments like Pyjamas and certain sportswear.
See also
*
Jersey (fabric)
Jersey is a knit fabric used predominantly for clothing manufacture. It was originally made of wool, but is now made of wool, cotton and synthetic fibers.
Origins
Jersey fabric originated in the Channel Islands, particularly on the islan ...
References
{{Men's undergarments
Knitted fabrics