Velvet fabric (details & manufacturing)
Also known as: Velvet, Warp-pile velvet, Double-cloth velvet
Warp-pile fabric with cut pile — classically woven as two layers simultaneously on a double loom and slit apart in the middle, so that both webs carry a dense soft pile.
Description
Velvet is a warp-pile fabric: in addition to warp and weft a third yarn set — the pile warp — runs along, forming small loops that are later slit to create the characteristic dense pile. In the classic double-cloth technique two ground fabrics are woven a few millimetres apart, held together by the pile warp. A precise cutting knife slices between them, producing two velvet webs in a single operation — far more efficient than the older wire method.
Traditionally made from silk, velvet today comes mainly from cotton, viscose, modal, polyester or silk-viscose blends. Important variants include panne velvet (pile pressed one way, high sheen), crushed velvet (irregularly pressed), devoré (partially etched), ciselé (varying pile heights forming a pattern) and cotton velvet for upholstery and corduroy. The pile direction dramatically affects perceived colour depth — garment pieces must all be cut with the same nap direction, otherwise two panels from the same bolt will look different in shade.
- Construction: warp pile with additional pile warp, pile is cut
- Double-cloth velvet: two webs woven together, split centrally (since c. 1830)
- Historical centres: Venice, Florence, Genoa, Cairo, Bruges
- Cutting rule: pile (nap) direction must be uniform
Properties
| Construction principle | Warp-pile fabric with cut pile |
|---|---|
| Standard method | Double loom, two webs simultaneously, split in the middle |
| Key variants | Panne, crushed, devoré, ciselé, cotton velvet |
| Cutting | All parts must share the same nap direction |
Related product categories
Sources & references
2- Wikipedia: Velvet Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet
- V&A Museum: Velvet history vam.ac.uk https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/velvet
