Corduroy Fabric

Apr 2, 2022

By Birds of Fabriclore

What is Corduroy?

Corduroy is a crinkled and durable fabric that is made with a variety of materials.
It is popular due to its distinct ridged patterns which a weaver makes in a variety of widths.
Usually, it is made with cotton, however, it can also be made with polyester or a combination of cotton and polyester.
Corduroy fabric can be printed with designs and can be dyed with various block colors.

According to various historians, it originated within Egypt in 200 AD.
However, it was first manufactured in 18th Century England.
It was the idea of factory workers to apply ridges within the fabric (Cords) to the wool fabric (Duroy), which was derived from fustian fabric.
Eventually, corduroy became famous among the working-class people around the globe, specifically in the US and France.
During the 20th Century, the Corduroy fabric became a trend in the fashion industry.
The fabric has arrived back in trend in the past few years, specifically with the increase in thrifting.
Corduroy fabric can easily be found in vintage shops.

Standard Corduroy	The Standard Corduroy comprises 11 wales per inch. If a piece of corduroy fabric is between 8 to 13 per inch (wales), then it is considered a standard corduroy.
Elephant Cord	This type of fabric is large and has thick cords. Elephant cord can have wales between 1.5 to 6 inches.
Pinwale Corduroy	Pinwale Corduroy is just the opposite of Elephant Cord. It has a large number of small ridges within every square inch. The finest form of Pinwale Corduroy comprises wales up to 21 per inch.
Pigment-dyed Corduroy	This unique method of dyeing concludes in a distinct mottled appearance that changes with every wash.
Spandex Corduroy	Spandex Corduroy is most commonly used in making clothes for kids. To give a stretchy feel, manufacturers combine cotton, polyester, and wool with spandex.
Bedford Cord	The yarns in the Bedford cord remain uncut concluding in ridges which is less prominent.

Breathability	Medium
Moisture-absorbent	Medium
Heat-retention	Depends upon the material blended with.
Stretchability	Low
Pilling	Depends upon the material blended with.

Clothing	Shirt, pants, dresses, jackets, etc.
Home-furnishing	Decorative cushions, chair covers, etc.
Accessories	Hats, Shoes, Wallets, etc.

Since, its origin corduroy has come in and out of fashion several times.
People still see corduroy as a versatile and durable fabric that is ideal for making pants, jackets, and so on.
Since, the manufacturing of corduroy during the 20th century used only synthetic fibers, the current re-emergence in organic textiles made the popularity of all-cotton and all-cotton wool famous.

Corduroy fabric can be washed in the machine with hot water.
Prefer to steam the fabric after washing as it will remove the wrinkles, bacteria, and odor.
Do not iron the Corduroy fabric, as doing such will damage the natural pile.