What Is Velour?

Many people wonder what kind of material velour is. Velour is not a single fabric, but a name that combines several types. What these materials have in common is a tufted surface, velvety to the touch, quite dense, and very soft. Despite the French name (Fr. velours "velvet"), it was invented in the East to replace velvet. Velvet was always very expensive, but in the end, velour was not much cheaper, and only aristocrats could afford it. It was a luxurious fabric made from expensive silk threads.

It is a very beautiful material that has a thickly tufted front surface, and on the reverse side, the fabric is smooth. Interestingly, many people confuse velour with velvet because of the name and external similarities, because in French the word velours means velvet. Indeed, an inexperienced modern user will find it difficult to distinguish between the two fabrics. He will think that velour is very similar to velvet. However, velour is characterized by a longer pile and is also more practical and wear-resistant than velvety fabric. Exquisite appearance has made velour in demand not only for sewing dressy clothes but also for the manufacture of upholstery upholstery upholstery furniture.

In the Middle Ages, an alternative to luxurious but very expensive velvet was invented in the East. This role is played by velour. Then the material was also not cheap and available only to wealthy people. Over time, technology has changed, it began to produce different types of raw materials, and the material has become available to the general public. Now velour fabrics are in every house and are found at every step. What are these fabrics and where did they find application, about this read on. In this article, we will look at what velour is, how it is produced, where the history of the material began, and why it is so similar to velvet. Let's understand the variety of types of this material, and their areas of application.

Velour, as a fabric, has deep historical roots, and its origin is closely linked to the development of the textile industry. The name "velour" comes from the French word "velours", which means "velvet". This association with velvet is not accidental, as both fabrics do have a plush structure, although they differ in production methods and texture characteristics.

Digging a bit into historical summaries, I discovered that velour is of Oriental origin. Originally, Eastern manufacturers invented velvet, a fabric that was made from natural silk threads. It was very expensive and only available to wealthy people. Somewhat later, to satisfy the desire of wealthy customers, manufacturers began to make different versions of velvet: woven into piles of gold or silver threads, made multicolored with various designs and ornaments, etc.

In ancient times velour fabrics, like velvet, were a symbol of luxury and available only to the elite. They were often used to dress royalty, priests, and other high-ranking personalities. Especially during the Middle Ages in Europe, velour and velvet became very popular among the aristocracy. With the development of textile technology and the advent of new production methods, velour fabrics became more affordable and widespread.

Time passed, the fabric migrated to Europe, demand grew, and it was necessary to think of a material that would be very similar to velvet in its properties, but at the same time cost less. Over time, this material was invented and given the name Velour. The main differences between velour and velvet are the composition of the threads and the length of the pile. Modern velour does not have silk threads in its composition but is made of cotton, wool, or synthetic materials, and the pile length of velour is slightly longer than that of velvet.

Velour fabric is produced in two ways.

Method 1: Two-layer fabric woven from five threads (two warp, two weft, one connecting thread), cut lengthwise into two parts. This is how to get a tufted surface – the front side and the wrong side are smooth.

Method 2: We weave a cloth with loops, which are then cut, combed, and get a thick fluffy pile. If they are not cut, the result is velour with a looped pile.

Cotton velour (stretch). It is a natural material. Cotton fiber is used for manufacturing. Sometimes there is a small percentage of artificial thread to improve the density of the product. Such a fabric is pleasant to the body, does not wrinkle, and transmits air well. Due to its hygienic properties, it is used for sewing, even children's clothes.

Wool velour – This type of fabric uses both natural and blended wool. It turns out to be fluffy and airy. The woolen pile is thick and low, retains heat well, and is pleasant to the body with its fluffiness. Since this velour is much warmer than all the others, it is used for sewing outerwear , hats, etc.

Draped. To get this type, pure wool of a merino sheep is used. This type has a fluffy pile, which is obtained by the simultaneous work of pile and counterpile rollers and subsequent shearing. The velour pile has no definite direction (vertically standing), is not pressed, and consists of the released ends of fine wool. The material is obtained as thin and strong as possible. The fibers are woven in a satin-like manner. Drap is used for winter and semi-seasonal coats, half-coats, and hats because it has high thermal insulation properties. Unfortunately, its cost limits the number of buyers.

Leather. It is made of leather of different types, which has imperfections on the front side. Animal skin is treated with chromium compounds after grinding on both sides. Natural velour is used in haberdashery (bags, clutches) and footwear. In terms of appearance, leather velour is similar to nubuck or suede.

Artificial velour is a synthetic material, which is usually made of polyester fibers, Lycra, and elastane, by special pile weaving. The finished material is virtually indistinguishable from the classic natural fabric, with similarities in many parameters, including appearance.

Properties largely depend on the composition and variety of velour. Among the qualities common to all types of materials:

- Excellent thermal insulation. Thanks to its structure, velour can retain heat and create a feeling of warmth and comfort.

- Air permeability. Even synthetic varieties due to the special weaving of threads have good ventilation.

- Abrasion resistance, is the ability to retain its original shape and color for a long time.

- Hygroscopicity. The velour material absorbs moisture well, while not getting wet.

- Resistance to deformation. Varieties on a woven basis do not lose shape, and quickly restore the shape of the knitted velour product.

Velour and velvet are very similar in appearance. Both materials have a tufted surface and look spectacular, but there are significant differences between them. The main differences between the materials are:

- Density. Velvet is much denser than velour, and if you run your hand over it, there are no splotches. It is equally dense, as at the base of the cloth, and the edge of the pile. The second one only seems so. And when you press on it, they will disintegrate into spacings.

- Pile length. Velvet fabrics have a shorter pile. This is because when weaving, the cut threads are stretched so that only one remains long, and the other 4 are short. Because of this, the shimmer and gloss of velvet is achieved. The velour threads are of the same length and to make it easier to comb them, they remain long.

- The complexity of working with fabrics. Not all sewing salons will take up sewing products made of velvet. First, it is very capricious during the pattern, and when sewing, you need specialized needles, paws, and overlooks. Velour is easier to work with, but it can be deformed by moisture, improper storage, and care.

Let's see what application of velour is relevant these days, when not only the wealthiest people can afford it. The material is produced in the form of fabrics of different densities. It is used for sewing clothes. For this purpose, woolen, cotton, drape, and synthetic types of velour are used. Clothing from them turns out to be comfortable, comfortable to wear, and pleasant to the body. From velour knitwear, which is characterized by high density, softness, and natural composition, are sewn sports suits, children's clothes, robes, blouses, and much more.

The peculiarity of the velour material is that even when using synthetic fibers in the production of fabrics, in the finished product, the part that comes in contact with the body will be cotton. This is why the fabric is used even for sewing products for babies. Because even in the presence of synthetic weaves, the material has all the properties and characteristics of natural counterparts.

Another subspecies of velour, which is used for sewing outerwear, is drape velour. And here synthetic velour is widely used as a lining for clothes, as satin is what it is, we have already told you. Of fur velour, which incidentally is made from sheep and goat skins, sew sheepskin, jackets , and other winter clothing.

We can not ignore the shoes made of velour, which looks more luxurious and attractive than leather but requires a more careful attitude: shoes, sandals, sabots, boots and boots, boots and now popular boots. And also accessories – bags, clutches, valises, belts, purses, eyeglasses. These items are also made of tufted leather materials for various ways of dressing.

Wide application of velour found in the interior. Many are owners of velour curtains, drapes, lambrequins, furniture upholstery, bedspreads, and decorative pillows. But let's also not forget about motorists who buy covers made of artificial velour materials for their four-wheeled favorites.