A new debate has gone viral online about what those stripes at the end of bath towels are actually there for, and we’ve found the real answer.
It all started when an X user called Nate shared a photo of the mysterious lines in question and wrote: “What is the purpose of this part of a towel?”
He added a red box around the stripes of material and a bright red arrow so everyone knew exactly what part he was referring to.
The post has had a staggering 91 million views and everyone quickly realised that they had no idea what the weird lines were for either.
It’s something no one had ever really thought about before, but a question everyone instantly needed to know the answer to.
People started sharing funny wrong answers in the comments, like: “Racing stripes. It makes them dry faster.”
“It’s a tread line. When your towel thins out to that level, it’s time to replace your towel. Mileage may vary,” said another.
what is the purpose of this part of a towel? pic.twitter.com/q4UYACVMDP
— Nate (@natemcgrady) March 13, 2025
So, what are the stripes actually for?! Well, it turns out, those mysterious lines have a hilarious-sounding name – the dobby border.
The dobby border is a woven strip of fabric found at both ends of a towel that is different from the terry cloth loops the main towel is made of.
It’s there for strength, to reinforce the edges of the towel and stop it from fraying, which makes it last longer.
“It’s called ‘the dobby border’ and it reinforces the fabric, prevents fraying, adds a decorative touch, and helps with folding,” one person commented.
Another said: “It’s called a dobby weave. It maintains structure and prevents curling. It’s also decorative.”
So, now you know!
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Featured image by: Canva
