Grosgrain
Fabric — one of 56 in the glossary
A firm ribbed tape or fabric where a heavy filling yarn under fine warp yarns produces close horizontal ribs across the width. It is stiff, strong and does not stretch lengthwise, which is why it is used as tape rather than as a body cloth: inside cap sweatbands, along plackets, as ribbon and trim, and as a stabiliser over seams. Where it appears on the outside of a garment it is usually a contrast detail. Its ribs and stiffness make it unsuitable for printing and awkward under a hoop.
Heavy filling under fine warp
Grosgrain is woven with a heavy filling yarn carried under much finer warp yarns. The filling is thick enough to stand proud, producing close horizontal ribs across the width.
That structure makes it firm, strong and essentially non-stretching along its length.
The ribs run across rather than along, which is the quickest way to tell grosgrain from a plain ribbon.
Mostly a tape, not a cloth
Because it does not stretch lengthwise, grosgrain is used where something needs to stay put: inside cap sweatbands, along plackets, over shoulder seams as a stabiliser, and as binding.
Those jobs are mostly invisible, which is why most people have handled a great deal of grosgrain without knowing the word.
Where it does appear on the outside, it is a deliberate contrast detail — a ribbon, a trim, a cap's taping.
Decorating it
Its ribs and stiffness make it a poor print surface, and its narrow width makes it awkward under a hoop.
Printed grosgrain ribbon exists and is made that way at the mill rather than decorated afterwards.
On a garment, treat grosgrain trim as a boundary rather than a canvas.
Common questions
- What is grosgrain?
- A firm ribbed tape or fabric made by carrying a heavy filling yarn under fine warp yarns, producing close horizontal ribs. It is stiff and does not stretch lengthwise.
- What is grosgrain used for in clothing?
- Mostly as a tape where something must stay put: cap sweatbands, placket facings, seam stabilising and binding. It also appears as visible ribbon and trim.
- Can you print on grosgrain ribbon?
- Printed grosgrain exists but is produced at the mill. Decorating it afterwards is difficult — the ribs break up ink and the narrow width is awkward to hold flat.
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