Ribbon

A woven strip or band of fine material, as silk or rayon, varying in width and finished off at the edges, used for ornament, tying, etc. material in such strips. Ribbon is used for useful, ornamental, and symbolic purposes. Cultures around the world use ribbon in their hair, around the body, and as ornament on non-human animals, buildings, and packaging. Some popular fabrics used to make ribbons are satin, organza, sheer, silk, velvet, and grosgrain. Modern ribbons are manufactured from every kind of fabric, from velvet and satin to synthetics like nylon and rayon. The broad categories of ribbon textures include organdies, satins, grosgrains, metallic, natural fibres and more. Satin ribbon is woven into a soft and lustrous finish. The hair bow has a dense and storied past dating back centuries. Bows, ribbons and other hair adornments have signaled femininity and masculinity, resistance and passivity, attraction and aversion.