Satin weaving was invented in China more than two thousand years ago. Although elaborate textiles such as brocade (a figured satin produced on a draw loom) were expensive and in many cases restricted to the upper classes, the cultivation of silk was widespread. By the late second millennium Ordinary peasant women were expert in the special techniques associated with silk weaving; silk was produced in quantity and worn, at least on some occasions, by a wide range of people, not just the aristocracy” (Steele and Major, p. 22). Silk weaving was a treasured secret, but eventually the technology spread to Japan, Korea, India, Thailand, and other parts of southern Asia. Limited amounts of silk fabric were ex- ported to the West as early as the time of ancient Greece, but satin was not produced in Europe until the Middle Ages. The scarcity of silk restricted the use of this mate- rial to the church, nobility, and upper classes. During the late Renaissance, silk weaving expanded from Italy to Spain, the Netherlands, France, England, and the American colonies. Variations of satin acquired several new names including peau de soie (literally “skin of silk,” a matte fabric with tiny diagonal lines) and charmeuse (a lightweight, pebbly satin, sometimes called crepe-backed satin). Sateen, made of finely spun cotton threads (often long-staple Egyptian cotton), has floats in the filling instead of the warp. These sideways floats drape in the opposite direction from a standard warp satin; when used for an elegant ball gown or full skirt they help the fabric stand away from the body. Slipper satin, a strong, compactly woven material is mainly used for footwear.