Challis Fabrics

Aug 19, 2022

By Birds of Fabriclore

What is Challis Fabric?

A challis is a kind of lightweight woven fabric that was traditionally created by combining silk and wool.
In certain instances, however, a single type of fabric, such as silk, cotton, or wool, was used to create challis instead of a combination of the two.
But these days, challis is almost exclusively composed of rayon.
Rayon, a type of synthetic fiber, is now used to make challis more than any other material because it is easier to get and lasts longer than the others.

Challis comes from the Anglo-Indian word "shallee," which means "soft."
People say that Challis was made for the first time in the early 1830s in the English city of Norwich.
This particular kind of fabric has been purposefully developed to have a soft and thin feel, very similar to that of the Norwich crepe.
Yet, in contrast to the Norwich crepe, the Challis fabric has a matte texture and is recognized for having a greater degree of pliability.
Paisley and floral designs are used in Challis's classic style, which is also known as the traditional design.

Texture	It is a very smooth fabric that is quite cool to the touch.
Breathable	The fabric is lightweight and breathable.
Wrinkle resistant	It doesn’t wrinkle much and even when it does, it will return to its original state after you’ve worn it for a few minutes.

Clothing	Jackets, shirts, pants, pajamas, kimono, etc.
Accessories	Sportswear, babushkas, dirndls, etc.

It is recommended to do the preliminary washing using warm water and the medium setting on the tumble dryer.
Wash it in cold water and then dry it by hanging it up.
Rayon challis can stand up to heat and can be pressed with steam at a medium temperature.