Velvet & Velour, Explained
Velvet is fabric with a dense, short pile — thousands of tiny upright tufts that catch light and give the cloth its deep, directional glow. The word covers a family: woven velvet is the rigid, formal original; velour is velvet's knit cousin, with the same plush face plus stretch. Most velvet sold for dressmaking today, ours included, is stretch knit velour — it fits the body and sews far more forgivingly than woven velvet.
How pile fabric is made
An extra set of yarns is woven or knit into the base cloth, then cut and sheared to an even height. Those cut ends standing on end are the pile — and because they all lean slightly one way, every pile fabric has a nap direction. Stroke velvet one way and it is smooth and lighter-colored; the other way, resistant and richer. This single fact drives all the cutting rules below.
What velvet feels like
Plush, warm and heavier than it looks. Velour adds stretch and recovery, which is why it works for fitted dresses and loungewear where woven velvet would need darts, ease and a zipper. Crushed velvet has its pile pressed in swirls for a marbled shine; panne velvet is crushed flatter and glossier still.
What to sew with velvet
- Evening and holiday dresses — the stretch velour sweet spot
- Loungewear, tracksuits and robes
- Blazers and statement jackets
- Accent cushions and upholstery in heavier weights
How to cut and sew it
- Cut every piece with the nap running the same direction — pieces cut opposite ways will look like different colors in the finished garment. Nap running up gives the richest color.
- Cut single-layer, pile side down, and expect mess — cut pile sheds.
- Pin inside seam allowances (pile marks), sew with a walking foot or plenty of hand-basting; pile-on-pile creeps.
- Never press the pile flat: steam from above, or press face-down into a scrap of the same velvet or a thick towel.
Velvet vs. velour vs. corduroy
Woven velvet: rigid, formal, most lustrous. Velour: knit, stretchy, easy to fit and sew. Corduroy: pile cut into vertical cords — casual and hard-wearing rather than evening. If a pattern calls for stretch velvet, that is velour.
Velvet, measured
Fibers in our velvet
- Polyester91%
- Spandex80%
- Cotton28%
- Viscose7%
- Acrylic4%
Share of listings containing each fiber — most cloths blend two or more.
Live from 393 measured listings on our shelf. How we measure →
Common questions
Is velour the same as velvet?
Same plush idea, different construction. Velvet is traditionally woven and stable; velour is knit and stretches. The face reads nearly identical; the garment behaves completely differently.
Which way should the nap run?
Pick one direction for every piece — convention says nap up for deeper color, nap down for a lighter, smoother look. The only wrong answer is mixing directions.
Can I iron velvet?
Not face-down on a hard surface — you will crush the pile permanently. Steam from above and brush, or press into a velvet scrap or thick towel with the pile sandwiched.
Is stretch velvet hard to sew?
Easier than woven velvet by a wide margin. Treat it like a knit with manners: ballpoint needle, stretch stitch, walking foot, and baste anything that must match.
