Panne Velvet

Panne velvet is velvet whose pile has been pressed flat in a single direction under heat and heavy pressure, so that instead of standing upright the fibers all lie one way and reflect light in a bright, watery sheen. That treatment, a cousin of the crushing that makes crushed velvet, gives panne a high luster and a fluid, almost liquid drape much lighter than the upright pile of plain velvet. It became a cloth of eveningwear, opera capes, and the costumes of dance and skating, anywhere a garment needed to catch and pour the light as it moved.