Across the centuries velvet has retained its allure as a rich and opulent fabric available only to the privileged. In earlier times only royalty and nobility could afford to garment themselves in the pristigeous material. An expensive process requiring more yarns and more steps to create, velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are very easily distributed with a short dense pile giving it a distinctive look and feel.
Elegant, with a supple hand and soft pile characteristic of the finest velvet, the fabric has always brought an air of sophistication and style to any garment or interior decor since the Elizabethian error when priveledged women wore tight waisted gowns with status defining ruffles, Dukes and Earls wore velvet breeches, and the nobel garnished their dining hall chairs, sitting room lounges, library windows and sleeping quarters in decadent crushed velvet dyed with burgundy, onyx and evergreen.
It has only been in this century that velvet has become affordable to the masses. The industrial revolution brought with it the chance for the common person to experience luxury that was for centuries reserved for royalty and the rich. From custom upholstered crushed velvet car interiors and velvet pimp suits, to sexy love seats and posh office interiors, the artistic weave of crushed velvet has found its way into our homes and onto our bodies for another spin on the fashionable fabric wheel once again.
Posts by J&O Fabric Store
