A heavyweight cotton fabric with a twilled weave, often used for work clothes and durable garments.
Origin uncertain, possibly from French or related to a weaving technique; the term appears in 19th-century textile terminology. May be related to charpie (shredded fabric).
Charvet was the working person's fabric—strong enough for miners and laborers, durable enough to last through hard use, so it became standard for work clothes and uniforms.
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