Flannelette and Jean

Flannelette is a cotton fabric originally made as a cheap imitation for wool flannel. The name is derived from the Welsh term “gwlanan”, the Welsh for wool being gwlan (loosely woven). Woven in plain or twill weave in soft cotton yarns the surface of the cloth is raised on both sides. It can be undyed, dyed, woven in stripes or checks. It launders well and is used for sheets, shirts and nightwear. It is sometimes known as Canton flannel or flannels in South America. Boomazey is a twill flannelette printed on the front and napped on the face and back and is used for winter shirts and children’s clothes.

Jean fabric gets its name from the northern Italian town of Jenos where it was first made. Originally this cloth was used as lining material and made with a 3-and-1 twill weave producing a smooth faced closely woven cloth. It differs from denim because it is dyed in solid colours or bleached. The plural of jean has become synonymous with hard wearing working trousers. At the time of the gold rush in the mid-nineteenth century in the United States, jean, denim and other heavy weight canvas cloths made better working trousers for the gold miners than traditional fabrics. Jean is used extensively for working and sports cloths. Other cloths similar to jean include Argentina and Australian twill both of which are usually dyed black.

Notes:

plain – прямий;

to twill – переплітати по діагоналі;

to raise – ворсувати, начосувати.