Every once in a while, I see a post on social media that makes me realise I know nothing about the world.
Last week, that question came from a Redditor who wanted to know why new builds sometimes have bricked-up windows (turns out it’s a mixture of manufactured charm and, sometimes, council rules).
And now, another, equally mind-melting X post has come to my attention: “What is the purpose of this part of a towel?” software engineer Nate McGrady asked, sharing a circled photo of the non-fluffy stripes on the bathroom textile.
This, I thought, is what my press privileges exist for. So, I reached out to Courtney Cole, an interior designer at TileCloud, about what’s really going on here.
They’re called “dobby borders”
“This part of the towel is actually called a ‘dobby border’ – which so many people don’t know,” Cole explained (I certainly didn’t).
King Towel describes a “dobby border” as a strip or band on the towel which has no loops or pile on it – in other words, the non-fluffy bit.
“Because it’s woven more closely than the rest of the towel, it will help with fraying and will keep the edges from curling over time,” Cole continued.
“This means that the towel with the dobby border will likely last longer than those that don’t have it.”
There’s also a branding-friendly reason for the addition, the interior designer told HuffPost UK.
“It also gives manufacturers a structured area for branding and embroidery, which is why you’ll see logos and monograms there with hotels and other places like spas,” she said.
And lastly, there’s the matter of storing them to consider. The interior designer suggested towels without this border don’t stack as well, “which anyone who’s ever tried to make their linen closet look perfect knows all too well”.
So basically, it’s down to structural integrity, branding, and better stacking.
X users had other theories...
Responding to the original post, X users shared their – erm – questionable theories.
One joked the bands are “racing stripes. It makes them dry faster.”
“The purpose of it is to annoy me and to make me feel grateful for the other side of the towel that actually dries your hands all the way,” another commenter wrote.
Yet another simply said: “Grip.”
To be fair, I don’t think I would have been able to give a better answer without Coles’ help...