A chequered history of gingham

While gingham has distinctive checks, it actually started life as a striped fabric, imported from India in the 17th Century. The word ‘gingham’ comes from the Malayan word ‘genggang’ meaning striped. When it reached the mills of Manchester, it got a new look as millers began weaving the materials in checked or plaid patterns. In gingham, the yarn is dyed before it’s woven and the coloured yarn goes against the grain of the uncoloured yarn to create a lightweight fabric that looks the same either side.