Fabric Type

Velour Knitted Fabrics are pile jersey fabrics having soft protruding fibers on the fabric surface. Like French terry, Velour Knit Fabrics are also made of an additional set of yarns making pile loops on the fabric surface. However, in Velour Knit Fabrics, these pile loops are sheared evenly and brushed. It may be dyed and generally available with solid colors. They are used in luxurious apparels like jackets, blouses, dresses etc.

Velour Knit Fabric is an incredibly soft, plush textile which is very similar to velvet (and less expensive). It’s characterised by a elegantly soft-to-the-touch finish with cut fibres that follow the stroke of your hand, and drapes seamlessly.

Velour Knit Fabric is luxurious and was the power fabric of the 70’s. Despite its luxurious finish, velour knit fabric is typically made from cotton or cotton, and can even be made from synthetics such as polyester. The signature soft texture on the surface of velour is known as ‘pile’, and is made by cutting across looped threads with a special knitting process.

'Velour' is the French word for ‘velvet’. Although not technically velour, pieces of velvet have been found in China which date back to old dynasties, as far back as 206 BCE. In 2000 BC Cairo was a production hub of velvet, alongside Iraq, creating the textile for royalty and the very wealthy. Originally velvet took such a long time to craft that it was incredibly expensive, making it a very high-end luxury good.

Mass manufacturing of velvet’s cheaper counterpart, velour knitted fabric, began back in the 1840’s with the production of cloth bolts. With increasing popularity, a variety of velour knitted fabrics became available to the market, which unique finishes such as cotton, wool, ribbed and polyester.

Up until the 1970’s velour knitted fabric was primarily used for upholstery and household items, and only became popular in clothing in the late 60’s and 70’s – despite begin ridiculed for its background in furniture.

Velour became the fabric of a generation in the 1960s and 70s, as almost a rebellion against the fashion and societal constructs of the time. Being soft, comfortable and colourful, it was almost the polar opposite of the tailored, well put together clothing that was on trend for both women and men.

Despite not necessarily being one of the most fashion forward fabrics, velour knit fabric still became so popular that it eventually made its way into mainstream fashion, especially after bands such as the Bee Gees were seen wearing it in the 70’s. The textile was embraced with open arms, with Adidas and other sportswear brands creating signature tracksuits and sports gear using the super soft material. Even in the 90’s, Jennifer Lopez’s first clothing line was pretty much entirely velour knitted tracksuits with those signature flared legs – and that’s definitely one we’ll remember.

Velour Knitted Fabric is generally known as a ‘comfy’ fabric, meaning it’s used for all things cosy and super soft casual-wear – pyjamas, tracksuits, slippers, leggings and dressing gowns. For the optimum lounge-wear, you can’t go wrong with this silky smooth textile. Velour Knitted Fabric still tends to be favoured in home ware where it will endure more wear and tear, and so a cheaper fabric is often preferred over pure silk velvet.

When weaving velour knit fabric, the yarns are knitted into loops to make a pile weave, and then the small loops are cut off which causes the fabric to lose its sheen.

Because it is knitted, velour is traditionally much stretchier than velvet, but developments in the textile industry means that velvet can be used for almost all the same applications these days – from curtains to clothing or upholstery.

Velour Knitted Fabric is a plush, knitted fabric or textile similar to velvet or velveteen. It is usually made from cotton, but can also be made from synthetic materials such as polyester. Velour is used in a wide variety of applications, including clothing and upholstery. Other examples include car seats, leotards and robes. This means that it can be useful in many occasions.

Velour is used in dance wear for the ease of movement it affords, and is also popular for warm, colorful, casual clothing. When used as upholstery, velour often is substituted for velvet.

The velour widely used in the manufacture of theater drapes and stage curtains is manufactured using the same weaving process as velvet: two sets of warps and wefts woven at the same time, with additional threads that will become the nap in between, then cut apart to produce the two separate tufted fabrics.