What is Chambray?

Did you know | Chambray is an evolution of the word Cambric, a fabric that was originally made in the area near Cambrai, France - which comes from the Flemish word Kamerijk! Isn't linguistics fun? 😋

So what exactly is chambray? If you've ever seen a fabric that looks like denim but feels nothing like it, you might have come across a chambray cotton! Like denim, this type of fabric is dense & finely woven with a coloured thread in the warp* & a white thread in the weft*; unlike denim, however, it is light & breathable, and has a slightly different weave pattern (though that's not something most people will ever notice!).

These days, chambray isn't always 100% cotton - often it will have some polyester content, or may even be 100% polyester. Chambray fabric is traditionally a pale blue, which is why you might find the name used as a colour way name rather than a fabric description!

Warp refers to the yarn that runs vertically up & down a roll of fabric.
Weft refers to the yarns that pass horizontally across the fabric roll.

Keen to start wearing chambray? Our popular Charlie Shirt is available in both mens & ladies styles, in a wide range of sizes & colours.