Corduroy is a smooth and velvet like fabric made from cotton. It is
warm and breathable. The fabric is easy to wash and is durable. It has
distinctive vertical rows of soft pile. The row is referred to cords or
wales, which varies in width. The pinwale is the thinnest and the wide
wale is the thickest. Cotton corduroy fabric comes in different form like dyed corduroy, printed corduroy, tie-dyed corduroy, and so on. It is usually considered as casual wear and is favored in colder climates. The fabric is ideal for pants, shirts, and sport coats.
Corduroy is said to be a French fabric, "Corde du roi", which literally mean "fabric of the king". It is believed that corduroy is an English invention of the late 18th century. In the 19th century, it was widely used by workers and became children's fabric in the early 20th century. In America, boys wore cord knickers to school in winter. Some schools in America and French Scouts adopted it as uniforms.
Characteristics of Corduroy Fabric
- It is warm.
- It is durable.
- It is washable.
- It is thick and stiff.
- It absorbs and releases moisture quickly.
- It can be ironed at high temperatures.
- Fine rib corduroy resembles velvet and does not cost much, so it
is widely used for better cloths, draperies and upholstery.
- Corduroy fabric is very durable. It is commonly made into pants
or trousers, jackets (sports) and shirts.
- Corduroy is also used as skirts, suits, slacks, children's cloths and dresses.
