A velvet is a woven pile textile with a durable, plush surface. Pile textiles feature a three-dimensional construction that uses a warp, a weft, and a pile yarn. Velvets are woven on special, double-cloth looms, which produce two pieces simultaneously. By cutting the pile yarn that connects the two pieces of velvet, the plush surface of the velvet is exposed. Velvets are commonly woven with natural fibers such as wool, mohair, cotton, linen, or silk. Mohair velvets in particular feature an extremely durable surface and are often used in public seating areas.
The different type of velvets including plain velvet, with a smooth, unmodified surface; crushed or panné velvet, with a surface that has been modified by applying strong pressure; and pile-on-pile velvet, with pile fibers that have been cut to different lengths to create a three-dimensional pattern. An alternative method for creating a velvet involves cutting the loops of an épinglé construction. This can be done selectively by keeping some of the loops and cutting others, to create a cut-and-uncut pile textile.
