What Is Velvet Fabric?
By the JOTEX Fabrics product team · Updated
Short answer
Velvet is a woven fabric with a short, dense cut pile: thousands of fibre ends stand upright from the base cloth, which gives velvet its soft touch, deep colour and the way it changes shade in the light. Velvet describes the construction, not the fibre, so it can be silk, cotton, viscose or polyester. Polyester velvet is the most practical choice for Malaysian homes.
How velvet is made
Velvet is a warp-pile fabric. It is traditionally woven as two cloths face to face, joined by an extra set of warp yarns running between them. A blade then cuts through those connecting yarns, leaving two separate lengths of fabric, each with a short, upright pile. The cut ends of the fibres form the surface you touch.
Because the pile is made of fibre ends standing on end, velvet absorbs light rather than reflecting it off a flat surface. That is what gives it such depth of colour. It also means the fabric looks lighter or darker depending on which way the pile lies, an effect called shading.
Velvet describes the construction, not the fibre. Early velvets were silk; today velvet is made from cotton, viscose, linen blends and, most often, polyester. The JOTEX velvets are 100% polyester, including the VELVET and CINEMA collections at about 280 gsm, and the YarnGuard PURIFY and REPEL upholstery velvets at about 450 gsm.
Types of velvet
| Type | What it is | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Polyester velvet | Pile of polyester fibre | Hard-wearing, holds its colour in sun, recovers well from crushing, easy to care for |
| Cotton velvet | Pile of cotton fibre | Matte and soft, but marks and crushes more easily and can fade |
| Viscose and silk velvet | Pile of viscose or silk | High sheen and fluid drape; delicate, and can water-mark |
| Crushed velvet | Velvet with the pile deliberately twisted or pressed in different directions | A shimmering, irregular surface that hides marks |
| Velveteen | A weft-pile cotton fabric with a shorter pile | Lighter and less lustrous than true velvet |
Chenille is often confused with velvet but is a different fabric: its softness comes from a fuzzy chenille yarn woven into the cloth, not from a cut pile. Plush has a longer, less dense pile than velvet.
Velvet for curtains
A velvet curtain drapes in heavy, rounded folds and, because the pile is dense, it cuts light, noise and draughts better than a flat weave of the same colour. It suits living rooms, bedrooms, media rooms and hotel suites, and pairs well with a sheer on a double track.
- Pile direction. Cut every drop with the pile running the same way. Pile running up looks deeper and richer; pile running down looks lighter and sheds dust more easily. Mixing the two makes neighbouring widths look like different colours.
- Width. Some velvets are upholstery width rather than extra-wide. CINEMA, for example, is 150 cm wide, so curtains need widths joined, and each seam needs careful pile matching.
- Lining. Line velvet curtains, especially on west-facing windows. A lining protects the pile from direct afternoon sun, adds body and helps the curtain hang straight. For a dark bedroom, use a blackout lining.
- Track and headings. Velvet is heavy. French pleat and double pleat headings hold its folds well; for S-fold or long runs, choose a track rated for the weight.
Velvet for sofas and upholstery
A good polyester velvet is one of the more hard-wearing upholstery fabrics, because the tight pile has no loops to snag. What matters is the abrasion rating. Check the Martindale rub count on the collection page. As a guide, 15,000 to 25,000 rubs suits general home seating and 30,000 rubs and above suits heavy daily use and commercial seating.
| Collection | Weight | Martindale | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| VELVET | about 280 gsm | 20,000 rubs | Curtains, cushions, headboards, occasional seating |
| CINEMA | about 280 gsm | 20,000 rubs | Curtains, cushions, headboards, occasional seating |
| PURIFY (YarnGuard) | about 450 gsm | 40,000 rubs | Sofas in daily use, commercial seating |
| REPEL (YarnGuard) | about 450 gsm | 40,000 rubs | Sofas in daily use, commercial seating |
When upholstering, run the pile the same way across every panel: down on backs and arms, and towards the front edge on seats, so the surface smooths as people slide off. Velvet will show pressure marks where people sit; polyester recovers from these far better than cotton or viscose, and a light steam lifts the pile again.
Velvet in Malaysia's climate
Humidity, strong sun and year-round air-conditioning all favour polyester velvet. Polyester absorbs very little moisture, so it is less prone to mildew and water marks than cotton or viscose velvet, and it resists fading better in direct sun. A lining still extends the life of any velvet curtain on a sunny window.
How to care for velvet
- Vacuum regularly with a soft brush attachment, working in the direction of the pile.
- Blot spills straight away with a clean, dry cloth. Do not rub, which pushes the liquid into the pile and flattens it.
- Never iron the face of velvet. To lift crushed pile, steam it from the back or hold a steamer just off the surface, then brush the pile gently in its natural direction.
- Follow the care label for cleaning. Many velvet curtains need professional dry cleaning; check before putting any velvet in a washing machine. See How to Wash Curtains.
- Rotate cushions and change where you sit now and then so the pile wears evenly.
JOTEX velvet collections
JOTEX Fabrics supplies polyester velvets for curtains and upholstery to curtain makers, upholsterers and interior designers across Malaysia and Singapore. See the full range on the velvet fabric page.
Frequently asked questions
Is velvet cotton or silk?
It can be either, or neither. Velvet describes how the fabric is woven, with a short cut pile, not what it is made of. The first velvets were silk; today most velvet is polyester, with cotton, viscose and silk velvets also made.
Is velvet a cheap fabric?
Not usually. Velvet uses more yarn and a more complex weaving process than a flat fabric, so it costs more than most plain weaves. Polyester velvet is the most affordable; silk velvet is among the most expensive fabrics made.
Is velvet good for a sofa?
Yes, if it has the right rating. A tightly woven polyester velvet has no loops to snag and wears well. Choose around 15,000 to 25,000 Martindale rubs for general home seating and 30,000 or more for heavy daily use.
Does velvet fade in the sun?
All fabrics fade with enough sun, but polyester velvet holds its colour much better than cotton or viscose velvet. Line velvet curtains on west-facing windows and keep velvet sofas out of direct afternoon sun.
What is the difference between velvet and chenille?
Velvet gets its softness from a dense cut pile woven into the fabric. Chenille gets it from a fuzzy chenille yarn, made of short tufts held between twisted core yarns, woven into an otherwise ordinary cloth. Velvet has a smoother, more uniform surface and a stronger sheen. See Chenille vs Velvet vs Corduroy.
Why does velvet look like two different colours?
That is shading, caused by pile direction. Looking into the pile, velvet looks darker; looking along it, lighter. Cut every panel with the pile running the same way and the colour reads evenly.
Curtain maker, upholsterer or designer?
Specifications are public on every collection page. JOTEX dealers can log in for live stock and pricing. Contact the JOTEX team to request samples or open a dealer account.