Velvet is a fabric which has been being manufactured for around 4,000 years in various forms. In the past it was considered a luxury fabric due to it requiring more thread to manufacture than other fabrics. It is a soft pile fabric and it can be made from any type of thread although in the past it was tradition to be made with silk thread.
The manufacture of Velvet using a silk thread made the Velvet more costly and so now cheaper alternatives such as cotton thread and synthetic threads have been used. For those who cannot really afford the cost of Velvet then cheaper options have become available as an alternative:
- Velour
- Velveteen
- Corduroy
On a specialist loom the Velvet is woven as a double cloth which means that the threads pass through two pieces of cloth. When the fabric has been finished and all the weaving is done a blade cuts along the warp, between the two fabric pieces and this creates Velvet. It is collected on separate rolls once cut with the thread sticking up creating a plush feel.
Once it has been cut it is usually sheared to ensure all the threads sticking up are even and then it is dyed to the colour required. Sometimes special effects can actually be made with Velvet by twisting the fabric when it is wet which creates the well known crushed Velvet or even using threads of different colours which made very vivid designs.
Velvet along with brocade has been being produced for quite some time now and early examples were of people who were Royalty it was used as robes and dresses for the upper class women as well as in other highly luxurious environments.
Our Emperor Velvet is of extremely high quality and is available in black, red, ivory and claret. We do recommend that it is washed at around 40degrees in order for it to not become damaged.
It is a warm and fairly heavy fabric which makes it a popular choice in winter time when it is cold although Velvet does require maintenance as it is so easy to damage.
