You’ve likely found yourself in this situation: Freshly showered, wrapped in a, plush-to-the-touch towel, and wondering why you can’t just stay like that all day. With certain exceptions (a very, very lazy Saturday?) you can’t, but there is the next best option: to go about your day in towelling. Towelling, also referred to variously as terry, terrycloth or terry cotton, is precisely what it sounds like: a woven fabric, typically cotton or cotton-blend, commonly used to make towels. Such a specialization is thanks to its characteristic weave, which results in long, protruding loops that absorb water while also lending it a pleasingly tactile touch and a raised appearance. While similar fabrics had been made for millennia, towelling in its modern form came about in 1850, when the English towel manufacturer Christy found a way to produce the looped fabric on an industrial scale. Beyond the bath, the fabric found popularity among vacationers in..
