Velvet

A technique that originated in the East and which was brought in the Middle Ages to Italy, to Venice, Lucca, Florence and Genoa, before arriving in Tours and Lyons in France. Velvet features a dense pile surface, smooth, compact, and brilliant. This result is obtained with either of two weaving systems. The loveliest, softest, and most luminous velvets are made of silk, but these are also the most fragile and the costliest. Nowadays, the same effect can be obtained with viscose, rayon, and synthetic fibers. Cotton velvet is a classic, and is always in fashion. For sports, corduroy is used, with wales of varying thickness and density. Velour, on the other hand, is a fabric similar to velvet, with a short, dense pile. It is soft and very warm, and it is normally used for overcoats or heavy jackets.