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Types of corduroy?

cindysmith

Veteran

This came up in a very tangential way in another thread that wasn't about corduroy, and it seems several of us are curious about types of corduroy. I'm one of them.

Much like Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, I turned to the great and powerful Oz to ask about the different types of corduroy. Because I know about as much about types of corduroy as I do about how to read Japanese kanji characters. These days, we don't call it The Great and Powerful Oz, we call it Google or Wikipedia.

Screen caps attached, but Wikipedia says that there are these:

* standard wale
* pinwale
* pigment dyed/printed corduroy

Apparently, other names for corduroy are:
* corded velveteen
* elephant cord
* pin cord
* Manchester cloth
* cords
* cord
* rib cord
* rib velvet

My thoughts on this Information:
I am assuming elephant cord is what I think of as a wide wale corduroy, and pin cord or pin wale is what I think of as fine wale. Printed cord makes me think of a paisley printed Ralph Lauren looking corduroy.

Beyond this basic Information, I still have questions:

* what kind of fibers are commonly used to create corduroy? Wikipedia shows examples using cotton and wool, but I want to know if there are others.
* what types of corduroy do fashion people talk about? What does somebody like Angie call the different types of corduroy?
* what do seamstresses call different types of corduroy? Seamstresses and sewers might have different words for it than designers and stylists?

And since corduroy generally becomes a "trend" every fall. WHY DO THEY CALL IT A TREND WHEN IT IS JUST A SEASONAL FABRIC?!?!?!?
Similarly, why is linen called a trend every summer when linen is just a hot weather fabric?

I digress. Corduroy, fall, trend... stay on topic, Cindy

How many of us are team corduroy when the weather turns cool?

Anybody who has answers to ANY of these questions, please respond so I can learn more about fabric and learn more about everyone's personal tastes. Thank you for reading and commenting

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14 replies

Latest reply was from cindysmith

nuancedream

Veteran

There's something about corduroy that screams 1970s to me. Maybe because in high school I had a corduroy blazer with leather elbow patches that I adored. On the other hand, I strongly dislike corduroy pants, especially if it's wide wale. Who wants to look like a "wide whale?" Corduroy, unless it's pinwale in a skirt, is a fabric I avoid.

Gaylene

Veteran

Well, as a corduroy survivor from the 70s, I’m tentatively interested in how designers can shake off corduroy’s fusty image for a 2020 revival. Maybe enough time has past to allow memories of a mustard-colored, thin-wale, bell-bottomed pantsuit (worn with the mandatory polyester rust shirt and headband, of course!) to pass from my memories?

I try never to say “never”, but I think I’d wear corduroy in much smaller doses in 2020. Maybe a well-tailored, thin-wale, equestrian-style jacket? (I had a baby blue one when I was 20 that I loved wearing with dark, boot-cut denim and a black polo-neck sweater). Or a tailored, midi-skirt worn with boots and a leather, scuba-style jacket? (Another fond sartorial memory,) BUT it would take a lot of convincing to get me to give up my denim for wide-wale corduroy pants, and I shudder at the thought of a mustard pant suit even if it were from Prada.

nemosmom

Veteran

I love corduroy! I don't know squat about different kinds/types/fabrics, but I know when I find a piece that I like versus one I don't. I had a chocolate brown blazer that I wore nearly threadbare years ago. Last fall I thrifted two pairs of bootcut cords (evergreen and burgundy) that got a ton of wear. This year I'm eyeing these pants from Free People, that aren't quite corduroy, but have a corduroy vibe to me.

Very 70's, but I love that about them.

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Anonymous

I love cords & wear them yearly. I prefer ones with 1% stretch. A lot are made of cotton or poly & I actually have a navy pair of RL that have gold and burgundy-red paisleys, lol.

I don’t mind wide whale, thicker cords but usually choose the thin whale.

I got three cord skirts from jcrew around 2016, that I really like and have several gap cords in bf, straight, skinny and bootcut styles.

DonnaF

Veteran

There's also uncut corduroy. . .

I didn't know pre-YLF that corduroy could incite such strong feelings. I rather like the fabric other than its relative fragility due to the nap.

Anonymous

Same here, Donna F!

Gretchen

Veteran

Another survivor of 70s corduroy here - I still associate the swish-swish sound with having my head down on the desk playing Heads-Up 7-Up during rainy school recess.

I tried a pair of Boden cords last spring when they were on sale. I loved the feel, but they were super flared and I wasn't sure I'd be in to them when Fall came around. Now I'm looking at their plum blazer and thinking that might need a trip to audition for my wardrobe - looks very Fall, but the saturated color takes it away from those 70s memories.

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Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I never knew of any corduroy except cotton, and nowadays, cotton with some Lycra. I kind of like corduroy, but I don't have a lot of it, except for corduroy jeans. I really like those in winter, because they are warmer than denim jeans.

Corduroy blazers and trousers have a preppy feel to me. I would wear corduroy if the style were right, but I'm having a hard time imagining something other than the jeans style that would work for me.

Ginger

Veteran

*raises hand*

First, there are basically two sets of terms for describing fabric:

1. Weave. This is how the fabric is literally constructed out of threads. It can be knitted or woven. If woven, it can be plain, twill (lots of varieties including gabardine), satin, crepe, ribbed/corded, or piled (velvet). It also affects the weight. Most of these weaves can be anything from transparent to coating weight, it just depends on the weight of the threads and specifics of weave.

2. Fiber. This is what the threads are made of. Natural fibers - linen, cotton, wool, hair, silk; semi-natural - rayon, viscose, bamboo; and synthetic - acetate, polyester, nylon. Fabric can be blends of different fibers, sometimes blended together, sometimes different warp and weft (down and across grain), sometimes one fiber for backing and one for pile (velvet). And certain fibers aren't always thick or thin, wool being the best example. My mother made a dress from sheer wool gauze once.

People do tend to get the types of terms mixed up. "Satin" is the most confusing; people assume it is always silk or polyester and always shiny. Well, it tends to be shiny because of the weave; it has long warp threads that "float" over the weft threads, which increases its reflective ability. (And also makes it easier to snag.) But satin is a weave and can be done in any fiber or blend. "Sateen" is the special term for a satin weave done in cotton. I own some wool satin that's got a wonderful hand and subtle sheen.

Sometimes certain fabrics have become synonymous with certain fibers; it's just helpful to remember that they don't HAVE to be.

That said, there's a bit of difference between "cord" and "corduroy."

"Corded" fabrics are usually those that are literally woven with heavier threads, i.e. cords, usually across the grain (side to side). It has "ribs" in it; run your fingernail down it and you'll feel them. Think of grosgrain ribbon. Pin cord is actually a type of cotton shirting, and was used for collars and cuffs in particular. Some silks used to be available in corded versions, such as "rep" or "reps", and faille is still available.

Corduroy is basically short-pile cotton velvet with cut or shaved channels in it. The width of the channels (and the height of the pile) determines the "wale." Pin wale is very narrow, wide wale is wide, etc.

Velvet weaves are special because there are SO many ways to weave them. There are two parts, the backing and the pile. Think of carpeting!

- The backing can be very sheer, lightweight, and drapey, and done in a fine fiber; like "silk" velvet, or burnout velvet. It can also be incredibly heavy and tight, like mohair for antique upholstery or teddy bears. The weave can be plain or a twill, if intended to be more sturdy. And it can be anything in between, including cotton velvet/velveteen and corduroy.

- The pile, like the backing, can be done in any fiber, and it does not have to be the same as the backing. "Silk" velvet is the best example: The backing is silk, so it has a beautiful liquid drape, but the pile is rayon. (100% silk velvet is available, but even more expensive.) Wool velvet used to be very common, particularly for winter outerwear. Upholstery velvets are usually blends. And the pile itself is woven in loops, again like carpet. It is usually cut, but uncut versions are available, where the loops are still present.

I haven't even gotten into dyeing... fabric can be dyed after being woven, or different fibers can be dyed prior to weaving. "Shot" fabrics are woven with one color one way and another color the other way. It's particularly effective in silk taffeta, where you can get a deep turquoise blue with a RED sheen.

Printed corduroy has a design printed on it; that should not affect the weave or fiber much.

I could keep going, but I think this comment is long enough!

Chris987

Veteran

Another survivor of the 70's corduroy trend here. I had a suit in tan thin wale corduroy (a-line skirt, classic blazer) that was considered a reasonably professional suit, but this was in New England where what is considered acceptable fashion would not pass muster in a lot of other places, and I was in a technical career where people didn't care much about fashion. I like the softness and textural nature of the fabric but not how quickly it wears out. It doesn't appeal to me these days, not sure why.

Chris987

Veteran

almost forgot... you get points for knowing that the Japanese "alphabet" (or one of them) is referred to by westerners as Kanji characters.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

I am really impressed with Gingers response!Spot the seamstress!
I do know that corduroy was originally known as Manchester cloth as it was produced in Manchester as a hard wearing fabric to make labourers clothes in.Very much like denim from France I suppose.Apparently some people in the North of the UK still call it Manchester cloth.
I totally agree with your comments about corduroy being a trend each and every Autumn!l have a corduroy skirt in fine stretch corduroy which I ve had for many years and wear every autumn.

cindysmith

Veteran

Ginger, I'm going to start with you because WOW and THANK YOU! Fashion isn't frivolous; it can be so educational And satin? I've seen garments with fabric content labels that say 100% satin and nothing more, and it peeves me to no end because that tells me nothing of the fabric content!

Nuancedream, I sure don't want to look like a wide whale

Gaylene, I wouldn't touch a mustard corduroy pantsuit with a ten foot pole either, even if it were Prada LOL

Nemosmom, if you get those pants I MUST see pics of you wearing them

Opaline, I'm thinking about a pair of black cord trousers/pants for fall winter for work. I work in a refrigerator (literally), and they would hopefully keep my legs warm

Donna F, I don't mind looking at corduroy on others either. I just don't have a preppy or outdoorsy or classic style and haven't figured out how to make them work for me.

Gretchen, that blazer is gorgeous. Of you get it I want to see pics!

Firecracker, I have trouble figuring put how to style corduroy for myself, too. It's just so classic or something, which isn't me at all

cindysmith

Veteran

Chris987, I bet that tan suit was lovely, and certainly dressy by today's tech uniform standards (Jean's and hoodies)

Cardiffgirl, why do they try to sell things to us as trends when we know better? Crazy :-O