Velor fabric

What is velor?

Velor, also pronounced velor, is a type of fabric. More precisely, velor is one of the pile fabrics, which can be made from many different fiber raw materials. The term velor comes from French and actually means velvet. But you should never swap velor for velvet, because velor is, so to speak, the cheaper alternative to velvet.

Properties of the velor fabric

The term velor refers to a specific fabric that has widely varying properties due to its manufacturing process. The appearance of the velor fabric also varies greatly, ranging from roughened to soft to velvety or even plush.
In general, velor is a particularly soft fabric that is influenced by the length of its pile. The longer the pile, the softer and plusher the fabric becomes. On the other hand, this also makes velor more sensitive. A long pile can easily break, fall out and permanently kink. With a short pile, the fabric is no longer as soft, but it is more resistant and much more durable.

Manufacturing process of velor fabric

The velor is a so-called pile fabric. The special thing about these fabrics is their surface. A classic fabric consists of two basic thread systems (warp and weft); pile fabrics have a third thread system, the so-called pile warp. This pile chain forms loose thread loops when the fabric is weaved; these loops form the so-called pile. The pile typical of velor is created by subsequently cutting open the pile. The term pile refers to the threads that stick out at right angles from the fabric after being cut. If you want a plush velor, leave the pile particularly long; the shorter the pile, the more velvety the velor fabric appears.

Suitable raw materials for producing the velor fabric

The velor fabric can be made from almost all fiber raw materials. It is possible to use both natural fibers such as cotton and synthetic chemical fibers such as polyester . Mixed fibers are also suitable for producing velor fabric.

Advantages and disadvantages of velor fabrics

Velor fabrics are very warming thanks to their voluminous surface, and their stretchability also makes them very comfortable. They have a gentle fall and a slight shimmer, giving the textile product a luxurious look. Unfortunately, with velor fabrics it can always happen that the pile falls out with age, especially if the pile is very long.

Difference between velor and velvet

Velor can have a significantly longer pile than velvet (max. 3mm) and can therefore be a lot softer. However, since velor refers to velvet in French, these terms always cause confusion. Velor can also be made with a shorter pile so that it looks like velvet. The two terms are difficult to separate from each other because both fabrics are manufactured in the same way. They are so similar that they are often mistaken for the same substance.

Boucle

Bouclé, also known as Buklee, comes from French and means something like “curl” or “loop”. This refers to a fabric that, like the velor fabric, is also a pile fabric. The crucial difference between the two fabrics is that with bouclé the pile chain is placed in loose loops, but these loops are not cut open. The loops remain closed, creating a surface full of nubs and knots.