Velvet guide
Velvet vs Velveteen vs Velour: What Is the Difference?
Velvet, velveteen and velour are often used as if they were interchangeable. They are not. The difference is structural: where the pile comes from and how the base is made. That difference sets the drape, the sheen, the stretch and the price, so ordering the wrong one is an expensive mistake. This guide defines each term, sets the three side by side, and gives four checks that separate them in about a minute.
Velvet: a cut warp pile
Velvet is a woven fabric whose pile comes from extra warp yarns. The pile is cut, short, usually under three millimetres on apparel qualities, and stands upright, so light reflects off the fibre ends rather than off the weave. It is normally woven face to face as a double cloth and split by a blade. Velvet is made in silk, viscose, cotton, polyester and blends. It drapes fluidly and shades strongly with pile direction. In the trade the word now also covers knitted qualities sold as stretch velvet, which is where much of the confusion begins.
Velveteen: a cut weft pile
Velveteen takes its pile from extra weft, or filling, yarns that float over the ground and are cut after weaving. It is almost always cotton or a cotton blend. The pile is very short and dense, and the surface is more matte than velvet. Velveteen is stiffer, holds a crease, and stands away from the body rather than falling with it. It belongs to the same family as corduroy, which is a weft pile arranged into cords instead of an even surface. Typical uses are jackets, trousers, children's wear, craft work, and box or book covering.
Velour: a knitted pile
Velour is a knitted pile fabric made on circular or warp-knit machines, usually in polyester or cotton and often with spandex. It stretches, and that is the practical difference. It is soft, with a slightly less defined pile than woven velvet. In India, knitted two-way stretch velvet is generally sold 58-60 inches wide at up to about 180 gsm and is used heavily for sherwani, safa and fitted ethnic wear. Confusingly, velour is also used in furnishing for heavy woven pile cloths, after the French velours, meaning velvet. Confirm knitted or woven before ordering.
The differences at a glance
Pile source: velvet from the warp, velveteen from the weft, velour from knitted loops. Pile length: velvet short to medium, velveteen very short, velour short to medium. Fibre: velvet any, velveteen usually cotton, velour usually polyester or cotton with spandex. Stretch: velvet little, velveteen little, velour two-way. Drape: velvet fluid, velveteen stiff, velour soft and clinging. Sheen: velvet high, velveteen low, velour medium. Typical use: velvet for eveningwear, sarees and curtains; velveteen for structured garments and craft; velour for loungewear, dancewear, stage costume and stretch ethnic wear.
How to tell them apart by hand
Pull the fabric across its width. Velour gives noticeably; velvet and velveteen barely move. Turn it over. A knitted back shows loops or fine ribs, a woven back shows a plain grid. Brush the pile both ways: velvet and velour change shade sharply, velveteen far less. Fold a corner and release it. Velveteen creases and holds the line, while velvet falls back into soft folds. Finally, look at pile depth against the light, where velveteen sits shortest and most even. Those four checks separate the three constructions faster than any label on the roll.
Which one to specify
Choose velvet where drape and depth of colour matter: sarees, lehengas, gowns, woven sherwani cloth, curtains and formal upholstery. Choose velveteen where you want structure and a matte finish that will not shade unevenly across large panels: tailored jackets, trousers, children's wear and covering work. Choose velour where the garment has to move with the body: loungewear, dancewear, stage costume, safa and fitted ethnic wear. When you enquire, give the construction, fibre, gsm and width, because the word velvet on its own describes three quite different cloths. Most Indian mills, Shailesh Velvet Industries included, will send cut swatches of each before bulk.
Frequently asked questions
Is velveteen cheaper than velvet?
Usually yes. Velveteen uses less pile yarn and is generally cotton rather than viscose or silk, so it costs less per metre. Still compare quotes at the same gsm and width before assuming.
Is velour just stretch velvet?
In apparel, effectively yes: velour is a knitted pile with stretch, while velvet is woven. In furnishing, velour can also mean a heavy woven pile cloth, so confirm the construction in writing.
Which of the three is best for upholstery?
A woven upholstery velvet or a dense micro velvet. Velveteen is too light for seating, and knitted velour stretches out of shape over frames unless it has been backed for the purpose.
Do velveteen and velour also have a nap?
Yes. All three are pile fabrics and shade with direction, though velveteen shows it least. Cut every panel with the pile running the same way, whichever of the three you use.
