Woven fabric

Corduroy

Rows of cut pile make corduroy’s lengthwise ribs, known as wales.

Also searched as: Needlecord, Pinwale corduroy, Wide-wale corduroy

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Schematic motif family, not an exact swatch or registered design. Color, scale and repeats vary; closely related names can overlap in trade use.

How it is made

Extra filling floats are woven into the cloth and then cut. The exposed yarn ends form the soft parallel cords above the ground.

How to recognize it

Look for pile ridges separated by channels; wale count describes how many ridges occupy a given width.

Common uses

  • Trousers
  • Jackets
  • Shirts

What to distinguish

The cords are cut pile, not knitted rib. Narrow and wide wales are variations within the fabric family.

Sources & further reading

Research checked 2026-09-27. Descriptions are original summaries; references support terminology and construction, not every product sold under a name.

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