Corduroy: a fantastic fabric!

Velvet has become a classic in our wardrobe in recent years... even if at first it wasn’t a sure thing...

Some have the trauma of brown shorts and pants from their childhood, others think it makes you look bigger, but velvet has carved out its place and we can only be happy about it!

Wide-wale velvet is comfortable, pleasant on the skin, soft,... a reassuring fit perfect for winter but also mid-season... I have been happily wearing it for several years!

Do you want to know more about velvet, and about wide-wale velvet?

Let's go!

My Toffee pants from Lamericana in wide-wale velvet

with my Calao sweatshirt from Instinct Couture

A bit of history

The name "velvet" comes from the Latin vilosus (hairy) because of the pile velvet has, those famous hairs that make it so soft! Velvet has the particularity of having one side covered with pile and one side smooth.

The origin of velvet is India, in the Kashmir region around the Middle Ages. At that time, it was called "swan down."

Following the silk route, velvet arrived in Italy, first passing through Persia, which at that time was a major commercial and exchange hub. It was Italian merchants who spread it throughout Europe around the 14th century and developed velvet weaving centers: Genoa, Venice, Milan, and Florence. At that time, it was woven in silk, making velvet extremely expensive due to the quality of the fibers and the weaving time. Velvet was therefore reserved for the wealthiest!

In the 16th century, France also began weaving velvet, notably in Tours and especially in Lyon. It was not until the 19th century, with the invention in 1801 by the Lyonnais Joseph Marie Jacquard of the Jacquard loom, which allowed new weaving combinations and revolutionized the textile industry, that velvet became more accessible.

What is velvet?

Under the term velvet, we group together a variety of fabrics that share the common feature of being woven in a complex weave called "velvet". The weave is the technical term used for "weaving method". Velvet is therefore not strictly speaking a single material or fabric but a weave. You will find velvets: short pile, corduroy, panne velvet, burnout velvet, ribbed, quilted,... This weave has the characteristic of combining, in addition to the classic warp and weft threads, one or more extra threads called "pile threads." These threads are embedded in the weft and form loops on the fabric surface (on one side only). These loops may be left uncut (like terry cloth), or cut (as in the case of velvet). Because of this loop presence on only one side of the fabric, you’ll understand that the two sides of velvet are very different and will influence how you work with it. The wrong side usually has a matte and smooth surface, while the right side has a surface made of small, short, upright, and tightly packed fibers all oriented in one direction. Yes, just like with a cat, the nap of velvet has a direction and must be stroked in the direction of the nap...

Did someone say wide-wale velvet?

Wide-wale velvet is a very popular fabric. Despite its vintage vibe, wide-wale velvet has made a strong comeback thanks to the renewal of colors and more modern designs over time.

Corduroy is a rather heavy fabric, ranging between 120 and 320 g/m2. In our shop, we have great wide-wale velvets weighing 280g/m2.

However, this material is particularly soft to the touch and quite flexible. It is a warm and very durable fabric. It is ribbed and the ribs can be wider or narrower.

Advantages of velvet

What are its strengths? Because of its softness, velvet is pleasant to wear. However, be careful with its composition because, as you might have guessed, there are silk velvets (very expensive), cotton velvets,... but also polyester which reacts very differently to body odors. So be sure to check the velvet’s composition and weight before purchasing.

Velvet is relatively thick and keeps you quite warm. It is therefore ideal for winter and mid-season depending on where you live... in Belgium it’s still perfect for spring and autumn 🤣...

On the other hand, it is sturdy and weathers well over time. It is perfect for sewing dresses, jackets, and pants that will be worn in winter but also in mid-season. Another good point about velvet is that it does not fray when cut.

Points to note

As we saw earlier, velvet has nap and its nap has a direction that must be respected for the pieces of your sewing project... Check that the pieces of your pattern respect the grainline but also that they are oriented in the same nap direction. Otherwise, you risk having pieces with slightly different shades because there is a shadow effect.

When ironing It is better to iron the corduroy on the wrong side. If you need to iron, use another piece of fabric between the iron and the corduroy to protect your fabric. To open a seam, gently press with the tip of the iron to focus on the seam.
The risk is marking your corduroy, this is called shining.