What Is Corduroy?

How is corduroy made?

Corduroy is woven with three sets of yarn, one warp and two fillings, and the extra filling is then cut to raise the ribs. The base cloth is a plain weave or a twill. The extra filling yarns float across the face, each passing over four or more warp yarns, and are bound into the base between the floats.

After weaving, the back is coated with glue so the filling cannot be pulled out, and machines cut the floats at their centres. Widely spaced ribs are cut once; closely set ribs are cut twice. The cut ends stand up as tufts. Because the longest floats sit in the middle of each rib, the ribs come out rounded.

The glue is then removed and the face is brushed, waxed and singed, which gives the ribs their velvety finish. Corduroy is used for trousers, breeches, a jacket or coat, shirts and skirts.

Britannica notes that corduroy can be made from any of the major textile fibres. In practice it is usually cotton, sometimes with polyester or nylon added for durability, or spandex added for stretch in close-fitting garments.

Does corduroy mean “cord of the king”?

No: the popular story that corduroy comes from the French corde du roi, “the king’s cord”, is a folk etymology with no documentary support. The Online Etymology Dictionary notes that the phrase is not attested in French, where the cloth was called velours à côtes. Britannica calls the derivation spurious, and the Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion finds no written documents to support it.

The more likely source is English. The Online Etymology Dictionary derives the word from “cord” plus duroy, an obsolete name for a coarse fabric made in England in the 17th century, and records “corduroy” from 1774. Even sources that tell the royal story hedge it: Fashion, Costume, and Culture says the cloth was named corde du roi, then adds that many think a British manufacturer invented the name to glamorise his fabric. Treat the king’s cord as a myth wherever you meet it.

What are the properties of corduroy?

Corduroy is a strong, hard-wearing cloth whose cut pile takes the wear instead of the base weave. University of Idaho Extension describes it as a cloth made for serviceability; in 18th-century England it was identified with the working class and called “poor man’s velvet”.

• Durability: the pile takes the wear. A twill back is denser than a plain back and holds the tufts more tightly, so it lasts longer.
• Nap and shading: the pile lies in one direction. Looking down the cloth, the colour reads darker and richer where the pile runs up and lighter, almost frosty, where it runs down.
• Stretch: all-cotton corduroy has no give across the width. Stretch comes from added spandex, a fibre the US rules also allow to be called elastane.
• Shedding: cut edges lose the loose pile yarns unless the seams are finished.
• Lint: the pile picks up lint in the wash, which is why it is washed inside out.

How is corduroy graded?

Corduroy is graded by wale count: the number of ribs, or wales, per inch (2.5 cm) across the cloth. The higher the count, the finer the rib. The names below are from University of Idaho Extension.

Sources do not agree exactly at the edges. Fashion, Costume, and Culture gives 16 ribs per inch for pinwale, 8 for wide wale, and as few as 3 for broadwale. Other names in use include featherwale and medium wale. When a seller’s description matters, ask for the count, not just the name.

What is the difference between corduroy and velveteen?

Corduroy and velveteen are both cut filling-pile fabrics, but corduroy’s pile is cut into ribs while velveteen’s forms an even, smooth surface. Both are usually cotton, and both are made by floating extra filling yarns over several warp yarns and cutting them.

Britannica gives velveteen’s pile as about one-eighth of an inch (about 3 mm) long, with a back that shows the basic weave.

How does corduroy appear on a clothing label?

Under US law, corduroy itself never appears in the fibre-content line, because it is the name of a cloth, not a fibre: the label lists generic fibre names with percentages by weight, in descending order. A cotton cord reads simply “100% Cotton”.

• Small amounts of stretch fibre: fibres under 5% are normally grouped as “other fiber”, but a fibre with a clear function can be named. The FTC’s own example is spandex added for elasticity.
• Spandex or elastane: the FTC accepts either name, since elastane is the ISO term. A trademark such as Lycra may appear only next to the generic name, in lettering of equal size.
• Pile and backing: for pile fabrics the label may give the content of the whole cloth, or of the pile and the backing separately, with the ratio between them as a percentage of total weight. A label that splits them tells you what the ribs are made of, which is the part you touch and wear down.

How do you tell good corduroy from poor corduroy?

Good corduroy has the wale count it claims, a backing dense enough to hold the tufts, every panel cut with the nap running the same way, and finished seams. Each of these can be checked in a minute.

1. Count the wales. Lay a ruler across the ribs and count how many fit in one inch (2.5 cm). Compare the count with the name on the tag, using the grading table above.
2. Turn it over. Look at the back. Diagonal lines mean a twill back, which is denser and holds the pile more tightly than a plain back.
3. Look at the garment in daylight. Stand back and compare the panels: the front legs, back legs, sleeves and body. A panel that reads noticeably lighter or darker than its neighbour was cut with the nap the other way.
4. Stroke it downwards. On the garment, the pile should feel smooth when you run your hand down it. Pile running down wears longer.
5. Check the seams inside. They should be finished, not left raw. Raw edges let the loose pile yarns shed.
6. Read the fibre line. Polyester or nylon is added for durability; spandex is added for stretch.

Red flags: panels that do not match in shade, unfinished inside seams with fluff collecting along them, and a tag naming a wale (say, pinwale) the ruler does not confirm.

How do you care for corduroy?

Read the care label first, then wash corduroy inside out on a short cycle in a small load, and brush the pile when it is dry. Washing inside out stops lint sticking to the pile.

• Drying: take it out of the dryer while it is still slightly damp. This keeps the pile full and limits creasing.
• Brushing: once dry, brush the pile in one direction. A fabric softener in the final rinse also helps lift it.
• Pressing: press on the wrong side over a needle board or a heavy towel, so the ribs are not crushed. Let the steam do the work rather than the weight of the iron.
• Creases: hang the garment in a steamy bathroom for about an hour.

Is corduroy sustainable?

Corduroy is neither sustainable nor unsustainable as a weave; what it is made of and how long the garment lasts are the questions to ask. Most corduroy is cotton, so cotton’s record is the place to start.

Textile Exchange’s Materials Market Report 2025 puts cotton at about 19% of global fibre production in 2024, second only to polyester. The same report states that, as of 2025, 34% of global cotton production comes from certified sources. The fibre line and any certification named on the label, such as organic cotton, are the details to check.

Durability counts in corduroy’s favour: the pile takes the wear, and a twill back holds it longer. Careful washing and pressing, as above, keeps the pile from being crushed or matted.