Balbriggan was a type of
hosiery
Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and 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 known generically as h ...
fabric. It was a finely
knitted
Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine.
Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...
cotton
Cotton 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 cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
cloth
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
predominantly used for men's underwear. Originally it was made of unbleached
Egyptian cotton
''Gossypium barbadense'' (''gos-SIP-pee-um bar-ba-DEN-see'') is one of several species of cotton. It is in the mallow family. It has been cultivated since antiquity, but has been especially prized since a form with particularly long fibers was ...
that imparts natural colored tones such as dark cream and tan.
The fabric's name refers to the city in which it was manufactured,
Balbriggan
Balbriggan (; , IPA: bˠalʲəˈbʲɾʲɪɟiːnʲ is a coastal town in Fingal, in the northern part of County Dublin, Ireland, approximately 34 km from Dublin City. The 2016 census population was 21,722 for Balbriggan and its environs.
...
in Ireland. The city prospered as a result of the fabric's production.
Structure
Balbriggan was 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 initially used for men's undergarments latter 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 It was originally made of wool, but is now made of wool, cotton and synthetic fibers.
History
Since medieval times, Jersey, Channel Islands, where the material was first pro ...
References
{{Men's undergarments
Knitted fabrics