Here is something that once puzzled me: What is the difference between cotton velvet and velveteen?
Velveteen
Made of cotton, velveteen has a smooth, soft, short-cut pile on a plain or twill weave ground. Velveteen is related to cotton velvet, but of weft pile weave rather than velvet’s warp pile weave. It is related to corduroy but without that fabric’s vertical rows of wales. Velveteen’s dense pile is slightly flatter and shorter than that of cotton velvet.
Uses: Dressy but less expensive (than velvet) in women’s and children’s clothing
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| Cotton velvet |
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| Velveteen ©Vintage Fashion Guild - Text by Margaret Wilds/denisebrain, photos by Hoyt Carter |
That’s how I was able to determine that this coat in my web store is made of cotton velvet.
To be truthful, I am not sure if I would be able to discern some fabrics with any accuracy if it weren’t for this tool, a linen tester. Highly recommended if you want to know the thread count of a fabric, as well as magnify it. Obviously a magnifying glass would do just fine for close-up viewing:
