Distinguishing Characteristic of Chambray

• The most distinguishing characteristic of chambray is not its weight. It is the appearance of the fabric that sets it apart from others. Chambray is a tightly woven fabric that uses a color of fiber (traditionally blue) for the warp and a white color for the fabric's weft. The warp is the vertical strands of fabric while the weft is the horizontal ones. You may even find printed fabrics that resemble this aspect of chambray.
  
  

History of Chambray

• Chambray fabric originates from Cambrai, France, where it was first developed in 1595. You may still hear it referred to as cambrai fabric, which was its original name. The name was Americanized in the 1800s, however, and became known in the United States as chambray. In the northern region of France in which it was developed, the fabric was used primarily to make sunbonnets, but came to be used in a number of different ways worldwide.
  
  

Uses of Chambray Past and Present

• The casual look keeps chambray a fashion favorite for summer clothing such as shorts, short-sleeved shirts, skirts and dresses. The tight weave of chambray makes it a good fabric for work shirts. Prisons past and present have used chambray shirts with denim jeans as inmate uniforms. Other businesses noted the performance of the fabric and also use chambray work shirts as part of their uniforms. This is the origin of the term "blue-collar worker."
  
  

Laundering Chambray

• Wash chambray according to its color. Items made from dark chambray should be washed in cold water with like colors. Light-colored chambray articles can be washed in cold or warm water with like colors. It is okay to tumble dry them both, but remove immediately from the drier and hang to help avoid wrinkling. If needed, press with a hot steam iron or hot iron and damp pressing cloth. Use starch for a crisp look.