Corduroy

This article is about the fabric. For other uses of the term, see Corduroy (disambiguation).

Cotton corduroy

Cotton and woolly corduroy

Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibers that, when woven, lie parallel (similar to twill) to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern, a "cord." Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel (bare to the base fabric) between the tufts. Corduroy is, in essence, a ridged form of velvet.

As a fabric, corduroy is considered a durable cloth. Corduroy is found in the construction of trousers, jackets and shirts. The width of the cord is commonly referred to as the size of the "wale" (i.e. the number of ridges per inch).^[1] The lower the "wale" number, the thicker the width of the wale (i.e., 4-wale is much thicker than 11-wale). Corduroy’s wale count per inch can vary from 1.5 to 21, although the traditional standard falls somewhere between 10 and 12. Wide wale is more commonly used in trousers; medium, narrow, and fine wale fabrics are usually found in garments worn above the waist.

Corduroy is made by weaving extra sets of fiber into the base fabric to form vertical ridges called wales. The wales are built so that clear lines can be seen when they are cut into pile. The primary types of corduroy are:

• Standard wale: 11 wales/inch, and available in many colors. This cloth is sturdy and practical.
• Pincord/pinwale/needlecord: Pincord is the finest cord around with a count at the upper end of the spectrum (above 16) and has a feel as soft as velveteen.
• Pigment dyed/printed corduroy: The process of coloring or printing corduroy with pigment dyes. The dye is applied to the surface of the fabric, then the garment is cut and sewn. When washed during the final phase of the manufacturing process, the pigment dye washes out in an irregular way, creating a vintage look. The color of each garment becomes softer with each washing, and there is a subtle color variation from one to the next. No two are alike.

Etymology

1756 advert mentioning "corderoys"

The Oxford English Dictionary records a variation of the word ie. "corderoys" going back to the 18th century, where it appears in an English patent from 1774.^[2] An advert appears in the Gazetteer and London Daily Advertiser in June 1756 also mentions "corderoys". ^[3]

While the word "corduroy" looks as though it should have a French origin, as if derived from "corde du roi" ("cloth/cord of the king"), in fact there is no such phrase in French (in French, corduroy is called velours côtelé). The word, like the cloth, is of English origin, probably from cord plus the obsolete duroy, a coarse woollen fabric.^[4][5]

The word "corduroy" can be used as a noun, a transitive verb, or an adjective. The noun refers to the fabric. The verb refers either to making a road across a swamp by laying down whole logs, or split logs round-face-up, or to the crossing of such a road: "to corduroy".^[6]

Other names

Other names are often used for corduroy. Alternative names include: corded velveteen, elephant cord, pin cord, Manchester cloth and cords.^[7]

In continental Europe, corduroy is commonly known simply as "Manchester" or "Cord".

Corduroy Appreciation Day

The dates of 1|11 and 11|11 have been dubbed as Corduroy Appreciation Day, because of their visual similarity to corduroy wales. The date of 11|11|11 is considered to be the "holiest" of Corduroy Appreciation days. ^[8]

References

1. ^ Daniel Billett. "Wale". About.com. http://mensfashion.about.com/od/dressingforyourbodytype/g/Wale.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-11. 
2. ^ "Corduroy", Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition, 1989, accessed 12 November 2011.
3. ^ Gazetteer and London Daily Advertiser (London, England), Friday, June 4, 1756; Issue 4607. Page 4, Column 3
4. ^ American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed., 2000), p. 407, s.v. corduroy.
5. ^ Oxford English Dictionary
6. ^ Oxford English Dictionary
7. ^ http://www.fashion-era.com/velvets/velvet.htm Fashion Fabrics, Velvet in Fashion 2005-2006, By Pauline Weston Thomas
8. ^ http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/10/corduroy_appreciation_club_seeks_kid.php Corduroy Appreciation Club Seeks NYC Child Turning 11 on November 11, as Their 'Messiah', by Jen Doll