The name may originate from
Malaygenggang 'ajar, separate.'[3][4] Alternatively, it is speculated that the fabric now known as gingham may have been made at
Guingamp, a town in
Brittany, France, and that the fabric may be named after the town.[5] Some sources say that the name came into
English via
Dutch.[6][7] When originally imported into Europe in the 17th century, gingham was a striped fabric, though now it is distinguished by its checkered pattern. From the mid-18th century, when it was being produced in the mills of
Manchester,
England, it started to be woven into
checked or
tartan (plaid) patterns (often blue and white). Checked gingham became more common over time, though striped gingham was still available in the late
Victorian period.[8] The equivalent in
French is the noun vichy, from the town of
Vichy, France. The same word is used in Spain, where this pattern is called cuadro vichy or estampado vichy.
In the United States, the mass popularity of men's blue and white gingham-patterned shirts in the 2010s led to critical media coverage of the phenomenon.[9][10][11]
Use
Gingham fabric was popular to use in various dress material such as
shirts, skirts,
maxi and also for some home furnishing such as towels and
curtains. Along with
muslin, gingham is often used as a test fabric while designing fashion or used for making an inexpensive
fitting shell prior to making the clothing in fashion fabric. Gingham shirts have been worn by
mods since the 1960s and continue to be identified with fans of indie and mod music with brands like
Lambretta Clothing,
Ben Sherman,
Fred Perry,
Penguin and
Merc producing gingham shirts.[12][13]
In the United Kingdom, the gingham pattern is often used for younger girls' school uniforms.[14]
Gingham dresses were standard attire for most female performers on the Grand Ole Opry until the 1960s,[16] such that the dress code was jocularly known as the "
Gingham Curtain" until
Jeannie Seely pushed for its abolition.[17]
In
Marty Robbins's Grammy-winning song "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" (1970), he mentions his wife "in a dress made of gingham".[18][19]
In the
Captain Beefheart song "My Human Gets Me Blues" from the album Trout Mask Replica (1969), he sings “I saw you baby, dancin' in your x-ray gingham dress.”
Japanese girl group
AKB48 used gingham as a general theme for their 2012 single "
Gingham Check."
The
XTC song "Pink Thing" contains the line "If you could only see the way the gingham swirls."
^"Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu" (in Malay). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. Retrieved 11 November 2011. genggang: (génggang) sj kain yg bercorak berjalur-jalur atau dam / fabric patterned in stripes or checkers.