drapery; cloth (cotton, hemp, etc., as opposed to silk)
Refers to cloth made from plant fibers such as cotton or hemp, traditionally contrasted with silk (呉服). Used in contexts like traditional Japanese clothing or fabric shops.
See also: 呉服
At a kimono fabric shop, silk rolls and cotton/hemp cloth are handled separately.
呉服 traditionally denoted silk fabrics, whereas 太物 denoted cotton and hemp fabrics, a distinction now largely historical.
draper's shop; fabric store
The term is composed of 太 (thick) and 物 (thing), likely referring to the thicker texture of plant-fiber cloth compared to silk. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.