Gimp is a narrow decorative trimming used in upholstery and soft furnishing, typically made of silk, wool, cotton or metallic threads wound over a firm core of cord or wire. It is most often glued or tacked along the edges of upholstered furniture to conceal the tacks and raw fabric edges where the cover meets the show wood, giving a neat and finished appearance.
Gimp belongs to the wider family of passementerie, which includes braids, cords, fringes and tassels, and it has been used in European upholstery since at least the seventeenth century. Early gimps were often made with silk or metal threads to match the richness of the fabric, while later Victorian and Edwardian upholsterers used an enormous variety of patterned gimps in scrolls, loops and plaits. The term also describes a coarse cord used in lacemaking to outline pattern areas, though in the antiques trade it usually refers to upholstery trimming. On an antique chair, original gimp is rare because it wears quickly and is usually replaced during reupholstery. Choosing a gimp of appropriate width, colour and pattern is part of sympathetic restoration, and a good upholsterer will match trimming to the fabric and period of the piece.
