Challis, sometimes referred to as challie or chally, is a lightweight woven fabric, originally a

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

-and-

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

blend, which can also be made from a single fibre, such as cotton, silk or wool, or from man-made fabrics such as

rayon Rayon, also called viscose and commercialised in some countries as sabra silk or cactus silk, is a semi-synthetic fiber made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose fiber, cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has t ...

. It was first manufactured in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

, England, in about 1832, when it was designed as a thin, soft material similar to Norwich crepe, but matte-textured rather than glossy, and more pliable. It was being exported to Australia in 1833. Challis could be made with woven designs, or printed. 'French challis' has a glossy finish. The designs were often floral, paisley, or geometric, and based on French silk patterns. The term is derived from an Anglo-Indian word, ''shallee'', which means 'soft'. At least one source suggests the term is American Indian.

References

Woven fabrics Norwich {{Textile-stub