Corduroy

Corduroy

Corduroy is a cotton fabric characterized by longitudinal pile ribs formed on its surface through a slitting technique. It is named for its ribs resembling rush pith. The English term is Corduroy. Texture characteristics: durable, thick, and warm, but it does not recover well from creasing along the ribs, and excessive friction can cause the pile surface to shed.

1. Core Fabric Structure: Weft-backed Structure

Corduroy is classified as a weft pile fabric in weaving, and its core is a unique weft-backed structure.

• Composition: Woven with one set of warp yarns and two sets of weft yarns.
• Ground Weft: Interweaves with the warp yarns to form the backing fabric, providing consolidation.
• Pile Weft: Interweaves with the warp yarns to form regular floats, which are then slit to create the pile.
• Fastening Form: The pile is anchored into the backing fabric, commonly in a V-shape or W-shape. Newer techniques, such as mixed “W+V” fastening, can enhance pile fastness.
• High-Density Characteristic: The weft density is significantly higher than the warp density, typically ranging from 110% to 200%, which is the fundamental reason for its thickness and durability.

2. Industry Specifications: Wales per Inch

Terms like "8 wale" and "21 wale" used in purchasing are industry jargon, referring to the number of ribs per inch (2.54 cm).

• Identification Trick: Place a 1-yuan coin (diameter approximately 1 inch) on the fabric and count the ribs it covers.
• Classification Standards:

① Fine: 19+ wales/inch (suitable for shirts)

② Pinwale: 15-19 wales/inch

③ Mid-wale: 9-14 wales/inch

④ Broad-wale: 6-8 wales/inch

⑤ Wide-wale: Less than 6 wales/inch (rugged style)

3. Material and Process Innovation

Modern corduroy is not limited to pure cotton. To reduce shedding and add stretch, the industry has developed various improvements:

Blended Materials:

Add spandex for elasticity；

Add polyester to enhance wrinkle resistance and shape retention；

Use viscose to improve drape and luster；

Specialty Finishes:

• Frosting: Treated with a bleaching agent on the pile tips to create a "frosted" vintage look, which can also mask the white marks that appear after friction.
• Intermittent Slitting: Employs spaced slitting to create a relief-like, three-dimensional effect with alternating piled and non-piled areas.
• Two-Tone: Utilizes differences in fiber dyeing properties to achieve different colors in the channels and on the pile surface.

Washing Care

It is recommended to wash inside out, hang dry inside out, and avoid vigorous rubbing and direct sunlight to prevent pile damage or crushing.