User:Jessicacraigg/sandbox

Manufacture
Gingham fabric is made with a crisscross weave over each individual strand. It usually comes in a checkered patter but it is also available in a striped or plaid pattern. Originally it was made with medium weight cotton and now the fabric is produced from cotton and polyester combined and contains the colour white with one eye-popping color This fabric is also made from synthetic fiber blends and even man-made olefin fibres. Many manufactures try to make this fabric resistant to wrinkles, therefor it looks sharp and presentable additional to it being a mid weave fabric that wears well and is easy to clean. Gingham fabric is used widespread throughout many countries due to it being inexpensive to produce.

Culture
Gingham is used in many different ways in different cultures. The name itself originally got its name from its appearance. The word comes from the Malaysian word for striped, "genggang". People would argue that gingham is actually checkered instead of striped. It was the English who invented the "checkered" version of gingham today. In Indonesia, because of the contrasting colours it symbolises the battle between good and evil. It is also very significant in Japan's culture due to its spiritual symbolism. Whenever a child had died in Japan they used the gingham to wrap around statues. In India, the gamucha is a gingham towel used to dry the body. Also, nowadays gingham fabric is a huge symbolization of a country lifestyle and is used in a wide range of areas within it. Overall many countries find that gingham fabric is a big part of their own textile history and culture.

Uses
Gingham fabric is used in many areas such as kitchen curtains and aprons, as well as gingham handkerchiefs. In the 1920's the fabric is used for many shirts, blouses, dresses, pyjamas and even bedspreads. This fabric was especially popular in summer due to it's durability and it was also lightweight. Popularity continued to grow into the 1940s due to famous actors and actresses wearing this pattern. In the 50s, women wore gingham dresses, but men rarely wore gingham shirts. In 1963, Sean Connery, James Bond, wore a blue and white gingham check shirt with his swimsuit in From Russia with Love. Following that, gingham dress shirts became very popular due to Ralph Lauren's marketing. This textile also became very popular for men and women to wear while attending country clubs. Even though by the 70s gingham became less popular, today it still continues to be used.