Corduroy

Corduroy is woven as a base fabric with extra weft "pile" threads that float across multiple warps; these floats are cut after weaving, and the cut ends are then brushed upright to form the distinctive raised wales. The wale count — measured in wales per inch — is the primary specification: wide-wale cord (4–8 wales/inch) is coarse and heavyweight, suitable for jackets and trousers; mid-wale (10–12 wales/inch) is the most common garment weight; fine-wale cord (14–22 wales/inch) approaches the texture of velvet and is used in shirts, skirts, and children's wear. Cotton is the standard fiber base, though polyester-cotton blends are used in performance-oriented corduroy. A key care consideration: corduroy pile can be permanently crushed by iron pressure — it should be steamed from the reverse or laid face-down on a thick towel when pressed. The fabric's pile also traps lint and attracts pet hair, a consideration for dark-colored garments.