THE HISTORY OF TERRY COTTON
Stories / Craft
March 21, 2022

THE HISTORY OF TERRY COTTON

The original resort fabrication, terry cotton has been main stay on resorts globally for the last 70 years. Its moisture wicking, breathable properties have lead to its status as the ultimate leisure fabrication. 

Deriving from the French ‘Tirer’, meaning to take or pull out, terry is composed of tiny loops of fabric being pulled out of its woven stitches. This technique has been verified to exist on garments dating back to Ancient Egyptian times, in 4000 BCE.

 

There are two methods to the production of terry cotton; weaving through intersections from 2 directions, vertical (warp) and horizontal (weft), resulting in classic fluffy terry cotton feel that we utilise in our products. This technique is best suited for garments and towelling, with absorption and softness as its main properties.


The second method is commonly known as ‘French Terry’, is more tightly woven with loops pulled on only one side of the fabric, normally used on the inside of a garment. This kind of terry is most common in athleisure wear such as sweatpants and hoodies.

Left: Guga Kuerten wears a classic terry cotton tennis headband, 2000 Australia Open; Right: Sylvester Stallone wears full French Terry sweat set.

The expansion of terrycloth came in the 1850s, with industrialisation allowing for the automation of weaving and knitting. Robes and towels became the primary use for the fabric for decades. Just over a century later, cinematic spy James Bond flipped the traditional use of terry on its head with Sean Connery donning a baby blue terry cotton playsuit in Goldfinger (1964). Its daring silhouette, paired with hardware being incorporated through a gold belt fastening. Terry is vastly present in the film’s costuming, with other characters in the show visibly wearing the fabric in varied forms. Contemporarily with this, the rise in beach tourism meant that resorts became dream destinations for those searching for reprieve, all while throwing on a complimentary terry robe. These factors created ideal circumstances for terry to not only become known for its physical characteristics, but its status of being en vogue. 

Clockwise from left: Working on Water, Slim Aarons (1962); Sean Connery in Goldfinger (1964); Hôtel du Cap-Eden Rock, Slim Aarons (1976); Pablo Picasso, Arnold Newman (1956); Vintage Menswear Illustrations; Alain Delon in Purple Noon (1960)

Today, terry towelling is a fundamental part of any resort wear wardrobe, and its applications in menswear continues to expand. The FRESCOBOL CARIOCA terry blend was exclusively developed with the unique usage of lyocell, cotton and linen. This allows for absorbent fabric that remains lightweight on the wearer, without compromising on style.