A coarse, sturdy linen fabric historically used for making simple clothing, sails, and work garments.
From Douai (or Dowla), a French town famous for linen production; the fabric became known by the town's name when it was exported widely in medieval and Renaissance Europe.
Dowlas was so common in Shakespeare's time that the playwright mentions it in his works—it was basically the 'budget fabric' for ordinary people before industrial cotton production! The fabric was strong enough to be used for sails on ships, showing that medieval textiles weren't always flimsy.
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