Nappies, made of terry towelling fabric by The Boots Company plc, 1997

Terry towelling is a fabric with loops of cloth that can absorb large amounts of water. They became a popular choice for nappies as they are washable and reusable. Disposable nappies became popular in the 1960s although terry towelling or other fabrics were still used. Continued research and reporting is exploring whether reusable nappies are more sustainable for the environment. How fabrics are produced, purchased, re-used over the course of a family’s child-rearing and the methods for cleaning and drying used, are all considered.

It is thought that the terry name derives from the French word ‘tirer’ to out and the Turkish tradition to pull out loops to create towelling, where this method was first developed. Henry Christy, an ethnographer saw the method while travelling through Istanbul. He returned with it to his father’s company, Christys, who began mass producing the fabric from the 1850s onwards.