Corduroy
Fabric — one of 56 in the glossary
A cut-pile fabric with raised ribs, called wales, running along its length. Extra filling yarns are woven in as floats, then slit and brushed so they stand up as velvet-like cords separated by channels of base cloth. Wale count — ribs per inch — is how corduroy is graded: low numbers are wide, chunky cords and high numbers are fine needlecord.
Floats cut into cords
Corduroy starts as a plain or twill base with extra filling yarns woven in as long floats on the surface.
Those floats are then slit lengthwise and brushed, so the cut ends stand upright as a dense pile. The uncut base between them forms the channels.
Because the pile lies in one direction, corduroy has a nap: it looks and feels different up and down the wale. Garments must be cut with all panels facing the same way, or the colour will visibly mismatch between them.
Reading wale count
Wale count is ribs per inch. Around 1.5 to 6 wales is wide, chunky corduroy; 8 to 13 is standard; 16 and above is needlecord or pinwale.
Lower counts are heavier, more rugged and more visually pronounced. Higher counts are lighter, finer and closer to a velvet.
It is the first number to ask for, because two corduroys of the same weight can look entirely different.
Decorating it
The ridged, piled surface fights everything. Screen printing bridges the channels unevenly and ink cracks where the pile moves.
Embroidery works but needs backing and a topping to stop stitches sinking between the wales, and fine detail is lost.
Where a logo is required, the usual answers are a woven or leather patch applied over the pile, or a printed twill label.
Common questions
- What is corduroy?
- A cut-pile fabric with raised ribs running along its length, made by weaving extra filling yarns as floats, then slitting and brushing them so they stand up as cords.
- What does wale count mean on corduroy?
- Ribs per inch. Low counts around 1.5 to 6 are wide chunky cords; 8 to 13 is standard; 16 and above is fine needlecord.
- Can you embroider on corduroy?
- Yes, with backing and a topping to stop stitches sinking between the wales, though fine detail is lost. Screen printing on the pile is much harder.
See also
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