Slub fabric, or slubbed fabric, is exactly as its name implies – it’s a fabric that has deliberately pulled out threads. This gives it texture instead of the fabric being just a plain weave. Slubs tend to be irregular, and it’s these deliberate imperfections that are desirable and highly sought after by interior designers.
Slub fabric commonly is made of cotton, although it isn’t unusual to see slubs on linen blend, rayon blend, and polyester fabric too.
The Antelope in Port fabric is a pink stripe fabric – notice the textured white lines in the picture. Those are slubs.
Why Is Slub Fabric So Popular?
There are several reasons why slub fabric is so coveted. Here are a few:
- The random placement of the slubs looks irregular, and this gives the fabric a somewhat organic look. It’s those imperfect threads that stick out every once in a while that say, “Hey, I’m a natural fabric and not some machine-woven polyester that looks the same.” It’s this irregularity that brings back the old days of when wool used to be spun into yarn.
- The slubs give the fabric both texture and dimension. The extra dimension means that the fabric is a bit thicker while still being pliable enough to form things like curtain panels and other window treatments.
- The slubs are a gorgeous play on light. Put up against a sunny window, it really shows. Those who are absolutely in love with the slub texture deliberately choose to do window treatments without lining or very thin lining so that as much light can filter through the slubs as possible.
- Slub fabric is unique, and it’s typically not something that you can get out of a mass-produced, packaged product you can pick up at a run-of-the-mill department store. It’s a symbol of custom because so few people encounter it in their shopping experience.
- Thanks to the slubbed imperfections, it can “drown out” minor stains that would otherwise be visible on a regular fabric with a smooth texture. This makes slub fabric versatile in busy traffic areas of a home. It’s also very popular for pillows for this same reason.
The Windridge in French Grey fabric is a striped fabric with crisscrossing slubs.