Fringe (trim)

Fringe originated as a way of preventing a cut piece of fabric from unraveling when a hemming was not used.

Several strands of weft threads would be removed, and the remaining warp threads would be twisted or braided together to prevent unraveling.

In modern fabrics, fringe is more commonly made separately and sewn on.

Modern "add-on" fringe may consist of wool, silk, linen, or narrow strips of leather.

Particularly in Western Europe, as wealth and luxury items proliferated during the Renaissance, types of fringe began to assume commonly accepted names.