Velvet, velour or velveteen: the difference

How each one is made

The construction explains almost every difference you can feel.

• Velvet: an extra set of warp yarns forms the pile. A common method weaves two cloths face to face, joined by those pile yarns, then slices between them. The result is a short, thick, even pile. Velvet can be silk, viscose, cotton or polyester.
• Velour: most velour is a knitted fabric with a cut pile, often cotton or polyester, sometimes with elastane. Being knitted, it gives in every direction and feels plush rather than polished. Woven velours exist too, mostly for upholstery.
• Velveteen: the pile comes from extra weft yarns that float across the surface and are then cut, so the tufts are short and the cloth underneath is a firm cotton weave. It has more body and less drape than velvet.

Telling them apart in your hands

Labels are not always clear, and a few checks usually settle it. Try these on a corner of the cloth:

• Stretch: pull gently across the width. Velour gives easily; velvet and velveteen barely move unless elastane has been added.
• Sheen: velvet has a rich, shifting gleam as you tilt it. Velour is softer in light, and velveteen is the most matte of the three.
• Pile depth: fold the cloth with the pile outward. Velvet opens into a dense, even pile; velveteen shows a shorter pile in neat rows; velour looks plush and a little longer.
• The back: a knitted back with small loops points to velour. A firm woven back with a fairly flat face points to velveteen.
• Drape: let it hang from your hand. Velvet falls in heavy, liquid folds, velveteen stands away from the hand, and velour slumps softly.

Which one for which garment

For a kameez, a short kurta or a shawl for winter evenings, velvet gives the depth of colour and the fall people expect. Our velvet guide covers cutting and pressing, and velvet outfits for winter weddings covers what to wear it with.

For a fitted waistcoat or a short jacket, velveteen’s firmness helps: it holds a lapel and a straight front. Velour is comfortable but reads as casual, and its stretch means it needs a different approach to ease than a woven fabric. Watch the market names as well: “stretch velvet” is usually knitted with elastane and behaves more like velour, and “micro velvet” is a loose term sellers use for velvet with a very short, fine pile, often polyester.

One rule for all three: the pile has a direction

Every pile fabric looks lighter one way and darker the other, so all pieces of a garment are cut facing the same way. None of them should be pressed flat on the face; steam from above, or press on the reverse over a thick towel so the pile is not crushed.

If you have velvet or velveteen for a suit, our custom stitching service can work with your own fabric or source one for you. Tell us what you have in your quote request, and we confirm what is possible on your fabric and design.