A glossy, striped woolen fabric that was popular for clothing and decoration in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Possibly from Calicut (modern Kozhikode, India) where similar fabrics were produced, or from an unknown origin language. The word appears in English textile records from the 1600s onward, suggesting it was an imported fabric name that kept its original designation.
Calamanco shows up constantly in historical documents from colonial America and Europe—inventories from wealthy households list calamanco dresses and cloaks, making it a window into what people actually valued and wore in the past!
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