Poplin, sometimes called tabinet, is a type of medium to heavy weight durable fabric that is now most frequently made of cotton or a cotton/polyester blend. The name derives from the French papelaine a fabric, normally made with silk, used in the 1400s. Common usage of poplin until about the 20th century was to make silk, cotton or heavy weight wool dresses, suitable for winter wear. Poplin was also a popular upholstery fabric.

You can find a reference to poplin in numerous books, most particularly Little Women. Joe and Meg are invited to a ball early in the book and must wear their best dresses made of poplin. Both are conscious that the dresses are not really dressy enough for a dance, and Meg longs instead for a silk dress.

The poplin dresses in Little Women were likely made partly of silk, but silk fabrics used for dressier purposes were often distinguished from poplin. The difference lies primarily in the weave, which produces a heavier fabric and in the fact that silk would have been combined in weaving with a worsted wool or cotton yarn.

Poplin in its early days was made by using a silk warp weave and a worsted yarn weft. The result is a sturdy fabric that has noticeable ridges. Today poplin is popular in shirts and pants and is often a combination of softer and heavier grades of cotton. Because of its manufacturing process, it tends not to wrinkle easily, and is somewhat water and stain resistant. Both men and women’s pants and shirts can be made of poplin and sometimes feel soft and exhibit a little shine.

Although Meg might have mourned not having a silk dress for the ball, men’s shirts made with cotton poplin is often considered the highest quality, and they can be quite expensive. The higher quality the fabric, especially when it is 100% cotton, the greater the price. A good quality men’s poplin shirt can easily cost 50 US dollars (USD) or more. The expense is usually considered worth it, since poplin tends to wear well and is easy care.

Poplin pants are usually made in the cotton khaki style. Designer pairs may cost over 100 USD, though you can certainly find some for about 40-50 USD. Again, difference in prices may reflect quality of materials used. Cotton/polyester blend poplin tends to be less expensive.