This study investigated the frictional contact behavior of the plain cotton fabric with the metal through linear friction experiments and real contact analysis. It established a theoretical calculation model of the contact area based on the characteristics of contact behavior. The results indicate that the contact between the cotton fabric and the metal is a multi-point contact, with the contact occurring on the fabric knuckles. The contact behavior is mainly influenced by the normal load, fabric knuckle size, and the number of fabric knuckles. The theoretical calculation model of the contact area considers the multi-scale structural characteristics of cotton fabrics and validates the applicability of the friction adhesion theory to cotton fabrics. The effects of normal load and velocity on the tribological characteristics of cotton fabrics are explained based on the number of contact points.