What is Velour? Sustainability, Pros and Cons 

The fashion industry uses various fabrics for sewing dresses, upholstery, drapes, pants, and other applications. Velour was a popular choice in the 20th century. It is a soft and dense fabric with a bit of shine, similar to velvet and velveteen. Unlike velvet, the woven fabric, velour fabrics are knitted. 

Many manufacturers in the textile industry use velour to make furniture upholstery, clothing, decorative cushions, drapes, sweaters, slippers, and pajamas. This article explores the characteristics and types of velour fabrics. We will also discuss the manufacturing process of velour and its sustainability.  

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

What is velour fabric?

Velour fabric is a plush knit fabric with a medium level of breathability. Velour is from the French word for velvet. As you can already tell, velvet and velour fabrics are similar. Velour’s pile is shorter than velvet’s but more extended than velveteen. Velour fabrics have a rich history. 

Velour became mainstream because of the high costs of producing velvet fabric. Furniture makers mostly used it as upholstery and stage curtains. In the 1960s, fashion designers started using velour to make pants, shirts, and other types of clothing. Velour peaked in the fashion industry from the mid-1960s to the 1970s.

Velour started losing momentum in 1980 when well-known fashion designers dressed celebrities in velour tracksuits. Velour’s popularity soared from the late 1990s to the early 2000s but is not as commonly used today.

Velour fabrics are still a staple in the theater culture, and fashion designers still make velour tracksuits for people within some particular affiliations. There are also still velour jackets, sweaters, and shirts. The automotive industry also uses it for upholstery. 

Unique Characteristics of Velour Fabrics

Velour fabric has unique properties that differentiate it from velvet and velveteen. The knitted fabric has a cut pile texture made with cotton blend, polyester, or other synthetic materials. Velour fabric is as luxurious as velvet and possibly more durable.

The blend of the knitted fabric determines its absorbency, durability, and breathability. Velour made with cotton is very soft but the least durable. Velour producers use a lot of loops to give it enough durability to endure daily wear and tear. 

The fabric's smooth and plush texture makes it great for blankets, sweaters, and jackets. Wearing garments made with velour fabric gives an air of luxurious comfort. The knitted or woven loops create small air pockets, giving the fabric enough room for ventilation. 

Velour is also a stretchy fabric, making it easy to manipulate and cut unique pattern pieces when making clothing. You can drape velour into various clothing styles. Its dense pole gives velour fabric a layer of insulation, making it a fantastic choice for winter wear.

The Manufacturing Process of Velour Fabric

Manufacturers create velour fabric in two layers. The base layer has two main threads, while the second layer has extra threads forming little loops between the main ones. According to the patent on Google by Rudolph G. Bassist, garment makers make velour from a ground fabric and knit velour threads onto it².

They form the velour threads by knitting long loops onto the ground fabric at their base. Next, they knit soluble yarn to the ground fabric to temporarily flatten the velour threads on one face of the base fabric. Then, they treat the fabric with liquid or vapor at a specific temperature and duration to melt the soluble yarn and free the velour threads. The free thread loops point away from the face of the ground fabric.

Another method manufacturers use is simultaneously performing all the abovementioned steps or using water-soluble yarn instead of a chemical liquid or vapor. They can also use steam to dissolve the soluble yarn.

Manufacturers knit velour using two methods. The first method uses a double-bed knitting machine with two parallel needle bars spaced out. Both bars carry different pins—the first bar has a series of regular knitting needles used to make the ground fabric. In contrast, the other bar has straight knitting pins used to add velour threads to the ground fabric. 

The second knit method for creating velour textiles uses a single needle bar knitting machine. Manufacturers overfeed the needle bar with threads to make the long loops. However, most producers don't like this method because the threads often get tangled and break in the guide bars and needles.

One disadvantage of the first knitting method is cost. The double needle bed machine is expensive and works slower than the single needle bar machine. 

Types of velour fabrics

Cotton velour 

As its name suggests, cotton velour is produced with cotton. Cotton was a cheaper alternative to silk for making velvet. Initially, the velour trend began with a cotton blend used as stage drapes and curtains. Today, we primarily use it to make loungewear, dresses, and baby clothes. 

Polyester velour  

Polyester velour is a velour fabric made from polyester fibers. Once finished, it is plush and shimmery. Polyester velour is a very breathable fabric, making it a luxurious choice for making tracksuits and upholstery. It is more stretchy, durable, and wrinkle-resistant than cotton velour. 

Rayon velour  

Rayon velour is another velour fabric made with synthetic fibers known as rayon. It is commonly used in the fashion industry to create various garments, including tops and loungewear.

Stretch velour 

They produce stretch velour with stretchy and synthetic materials. Producers combine polyester and spandex in varying degrees to get the desired level of stretchy in velour fabric.

Crushed velour

Crushed velour is quite similar to crushed velvet. It is a luxurious, soft fabric for making elegant costumes and craft projects. They produce it with natural or synthetic materials. A marbled effect on its surface characterizes crushed velour. 

Is velour fabric sustainable?

Although velour fabric is excellent for sewing soft clothing with a nice stretch, it has some unsustainable elements. Velour's sustainability has to do with the fibers used to make it. Manufacturers use both natural and synthetic fibers to produce this luxurious fabric. 

Velour fabric is not sustainable if made with conventional cotton and synthetic materials like spandex, polyester, and rayon. Synthetic fabrics harm the environment because they are not biodegradable and break into tiny microscopic fibers¹.

Microfibers contaminate the environment and various ecosystems, disrupting wildlife's life cycle. The wastewater from making these synthetic fibers also contaminates waterways. The chemicals used in production are harmful to plants, animals, and humans. 

Using conventional cotton is no good either—its growth is unsustainable. Farmers grow cotton with harmful pesticides and herbicides. It also uses tons of water and causes environmental damage, like soil erosion.

Velour fabric producers can become more sustainable by getting fabric certifications. They should use organic cotton from suppliers with OEKO-TEX certification. Manufacturers can also be more sustainable by using recycled synthetic fibers. They can obtain certifications from the Global Recycle Standard or the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification. 

Conclusion  

Velour, velvet, and velveteen are three fabrics with many similarities. Velour is made chiefly with knitting, while velvet is woven. Also, velvet is heavier than velour. Velour is the next best option if you can’t afford velvet. Check the brand’s textile certifications to buy sustainable velour fabric.