Corduroy

 

Many sources claim that the word derives from the French corde du roi, which means "the king's cord." The fabric was allegedly used to clothe the king's servants in medieval France. However, no written documents support this etymology. It is more likely that the term originated in England, from a fabric known as "kings-cordes," which is documented in Sens, France, records dating back to 1807. Another possibility is that the name is derived from the English surname Corderoy. This spelling was first used in reference to the fabric in America in 1789, in a newspaper advertisement from a corduroy weaver in Providence, Rhode Island.

Construction

Corduroy is a tough fabric that is woven with three yarn sets and has vertical ribs, or wales, formed by cut-pile yarn. The third set of yarns, which is typically loosely spun, is woven in the filling direction into a plain or twill weave backing to form floats that run over four or more warp yarns. A corduroy with a plain-weave backing is known as "tabbyback," and a corduroy with a twill backing is known as a "Genoa-back." Twill backing is more durable due to the denser weave and more tightly held pile tufts. Floats are cut after weaving to form ribs using specialized machinery. Uncut fabric is fed through the cutting machines once for widely spaced ribs and twice for closely set ribs. The ribs are rounded, with the longest floats in the middle and the shortest floats on either side. Following the cutting of the pile, the fabric is frequently singed and brushed to produce an even-ribbed finish.

Variations

Corduroy is named after the number of wales per inch and can be piece-dyed or printed with patterns. Featherwale, pinwale, medium wale, thick-set corduroy, broad wale, wide wale, and novelty wale corduroys are examples of corduroy variations in which different widths of wales are arranged in patterns.

Uses

Corduroy is used to make trousers, shirts, jackets, skirts, and dresses, as well as pillows and upholstery. Corduroy production has evolved with the addition of spandex to provide more stretch in the fabric, which is used for close-fitting garments.