Ask Netfah: Talking About Corduroy Wales

Dear Netfah,

What is corduroy material and how do I determine its wale?
-Heather, Chicago Il

Dear Heather,

The long, parallel cords formed by the twisting and weaving of fabric fibers creates the corduroy pattern that is synonymous with the durable and lasting material itself. The thickness of the cords, known as the ‘wale’ of the corduroy, adds warmth and texture to the fabric, making it popular for use in winter garments and upholstery. The width of the ‘wale’ often determines what kind of project the corduroy is best suited for. For instance, corduroy with a narrow wale is usually softer to the touch, less durable, and often used for shirts. Corduroy with a wide wale is usually used for making heavier pants and furniture upholstery. When it comes down to the wale count per inch, there are usually three categories they fall under; the classic wide wale, lightweight and velvety pin wale, and the ultra fine micro wale. The width of the cord usually carries a thickness of 1.5 to 21. The lower the ‘wale’ number per inch, the thicker the width of the wale (i.e. an 8-wale is much thicker than a 21-wale corduroy fabric). While images of corduroy fabric usually conjure up memories of scratchy material with a stiff hand, the corduroy selection of today is anything but. Now that you have a little more information on this versatile fabric, have fun shopping!

Check out J&O Fabrics great corduroy fabric here!

Check out J&O Fabrics dress fabric here!

Check out J&O Fabrics warm wool fabric here!

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