Poplin is a heavy, durable fabric that has a ribbed appearance. It is made with wool, cotton, silk, rayon, or any mixture of these. The ribs run across the fabric from selvage to selvage. They are formed by using coarse filling yarns in a plain weave.

The name poplin comes from papeline, a fabric made at Avignon, France in the 1400's. The fabric was so named for the papal residence there.

The first poplin was made from silk.