Fabric Definitions — definitions of fabrics, cloths, laces and textile materials from Apparel Search
Velour is a textile, a knitted counterpart of velvet. It combines the stretchy properties of knits such as spandex with the rich appearance and feel of velvet, and it is used in dancewear for the ease of movement it affords, and is also popular for warm, colorful casual clothing.
Velour is a textile, a knitted counterpart of velvet. It combines the stretchy properties of knits such as spandex with the rich appearance and feel of velvet. Velour is used in dancewear for the ease of movement it affords, and is also popular for warm, colorful casual clothing. Plush velour seats are an option on many luxury vehicles. In consequence, Jeremy Clarkson has often labeled vehicles he considers tastless (mainly American) as having 'Finest Vulgalour Interiors'.
Velour is also widely used in the manufacture of theater drapes and stage curtains. Velours used for this range from 16oz per linear yard to 32oz per linear yard. Cotton velour is treated with flame retardant chemicals when used in this application. Cotton stage and theatre curtains should be checked with an open flame every 5 to 7 years after manufacture to ensure continued flame resistance.
In the last decade, velour has been used for pillow covers and mattress coverings. Luxury memory foam mattresses usually come outfitted with Jacquard velour covers, for their comfort and elasticity, as well as their flame resistance.
The name Velour is also used by a Swedish fashion label founded in 2001. In this case, the reference to a soft retro fabric is an anti statement. The life style behind the brand is a contemporary minimalistic view on fashion referred to as velourism.
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The Pile, Knitted Instead of WovenVelour solves velvet's oldest problem — beautiful pile, rigid cloth — by changing the base. A woven velvet is two cloths cut apart, with a pile of cut threads standing on a firm woven ground; its drape is good but its stretch is minimal. Velour knits its ground, so the pile sits on loops that can elongate and recover, and the fabric gains the stretchy properties of knits such as spandex while keeping the pile's soft, light-catching surface. The practical consequences are immediate: a velour garment moves with the body, which is why dancers adopted it; a velour tracksuit is warm because the pile traps air like velvet's, but it is also comfortable for activity because the knit gives. The same construction serves completely different markets at different weights — plush velour seats are an option on many luxury vehicles, and luxury memory foam mattresses are often outfitted with Jacquard velour covers, chosen for comfort, elasticity and flame resistance. Stage, Sofa and TracksuitVelour's career in theatre is the oldest and most demanding of its uses. Stage curtains in cotton velour are heavy, light-absorbing and acoustically helpful, and the weights named in the definition — 16 to 32 ounces per linear yard — mark a curtain's substance and drape: heavier velour hangs in deeper folds and blocks more light and sound. Because those curtains hang for years in public buildings, their flame treatment is a safety matter, not a detail: cotton stage curtains are treated with flame retardant chemicals and checked with an open flame every 5 to 7 years to ensure continued flame resistance. In the last decade, velour's domestic life expanded to pillow covers and mattress coverings, where its softness and stretch suit fitted covers. The name has also traveled into fashion branding — a Swedish fashion label founded in 2001 uses the name Velour for a contemporary minimalistic lifestyle the founders call velourism — a reminder that a fabric word can become a style word once its feel is familiar enough. Common QuestionsHow is velour different from velvet?Velvet is woven on a special loom with a pile of cut threads; velour is its knitted counterpart, built as a knit with a pile surface. The knit construction gives velour stretch and recovery that woven velvet lacks, while preserving the rich, soft appearance and feel of velvet. Why is velour used for dancewear?Because it combines velvet's look with a knit's stretch: the definition notes velour is used in dancewear for the ease of movement it affords, and the same stretch-and-softness combination makes it popular for warm, colorful casual clothing such as tracksuits and loungewear. Why does velour appear on theatre curtains?Velour is also widely used in the manufacture of theater drapes and stage curtains, in weights from 16 ounces to 32 ounces per linear yard. Its dense pile absorbs light and sound well and reads as luxurious under stage lighting, and cotton velour used this way is treated with flame retardant chemicals and rechecked with an open flame every 5 to 7 years after manufacture. More to ExploreMore from Apparel Search: Fabric Definitions | Clothing Industry Glossary | Fashion Terms | Apparel Search Home
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