A strong, twilled fabric with a smooth finish, often used for making corsets, belts, and sturdy undergarments.
From French 'coutil,' possibly from an older Romance language root meaning 'to sew' or related to textiles; entered English in the 19th century as fashion terminology.
Coutil was the fabric of choice for Victorian corsets because its tight weave and diagonal pattern could hold its shape while remaining breathable—a perfect example of how the right fabric engineering makes the impossible possible.
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