Side by side
Corduroy vs Velveteen
Corduroy and velveteen are cousins: both are cotton pile fabrics with a short, dense, cut pile standing up from a woven ground, and both feel soft and plush. The difference is how the pile is arranged. Corduroy gathers its pile into raised lengthwise ridges called wales, separated by channels. Velveteen spreads its pile evenly all over, with no ridges, giving a flat, uniform plush like a cotton velvet.
Corduroy
No. 035weft-pile cut into wales · first documented 1700s
Velveteen
No. 073weft pile, cut · first documented 1700s
The differences
| Aspect | Corduroy | Velveteen |
|---|---|---|
| Pile arrangement | Pile gathered into lengthwise ridges (wales) with channels between. | Pile spread evenly all over, no ridges. |
| Surface | Ribbed and directional; you can feel the cords. | Flat, uniform, velvety. |
| Wale count | Graded by wales per inch, from wide pincord to narrow needlecord. | Not applicable; an even pile. |
| Typical use | Trousers, jackets, hard-wearing casual wear. | Dresses, jackets, trim, and furnishing, as a cotton velvet. |
Which to choose
Both are cut-pile cottons; corduroy ridges its pile into wales while velveteen keeps it flat and even. If you can see and feel raised cords, it is corduroy; if the plush is smooth all over, it is velveteen.
Common questions
- Is velveteen the same as corduroy without the ridges?
- Essentially yes. Both are short cut-pile cottons, but corduroy organizes the pile into raised wales with channels between, while velveteen spreads it evenly for a flat, velvet-like surface. Velveteen is, in effect, an uncorded cotton velvet.
- Is velveteen the same as velvet?
- Not quite. Velveteen is a cotton pile fabric with a short, dense pile, while true velvet traditionally has a taller pile and was made of silk. Velveteen imitates velvet in cotton, with a shorter, more matte pile.
- What are wales in corduroy?
- Wales are the raised lengthwise cords of pile that define corduroy. They are counted per inch: a low wale count is the chunky pincord, a high count the fine needlecord, with standard corduroy in between.