Velvet vs. Chenille - What's the Difference

Velvet vs. Chenille - What's the Difference?

Whether you're going to decorate your sofa, favorite chair or headboard, you need a soft fabric. Luckily, we have an incredibly high quality upholstery fabric that is perfect for the job. Two of them are chenille and velvet fabrics - but what's the difference? We'll explain the ins and outs of chenille and velvet so you can better differentiate them and make the best choice for your next project.

What is Chenille?
Chenille is a raised, soft, feathery fabric. It's thought to have originated in France in the 18th century—in fact, chenille means "caterpillar" in French. During this period, it was made using the leno method, in which two warp threads were wound around one weft thread, and the material was cut into strips. Chenille can be made from cotton, rayon, silk, viscose, or a blend of various natural and synthetic materials. Compared with velvet, it usually feels silky and looks more three-dimensional.

Today, chenille is made by taking a short length of yarn between two core yarns, twisting them together, and cutting to get a pile effect. These yarn edges run at right angles to the core, creating a super soft, smooth fabric. To prevent pieces of the pile from falling apart, low-melt nylon is added to the yarn core. Afterwards, the yarn is steamed to ensure that the pile remains intact before the yarn can be woven into chenille. A unique feature of chenille fabrics is that due to the angle at which they are cut, in the right light, the fibers develop some iridescent effects.

velvet
Common Chenille Uses:
sweaters and clothing
shawls and blankets
Interiors and Accents
Pillows and Home Decor
Advantages of Chenille:
Soft, Thick, Durable
Wear-resistant
retain heat for added warmth
Chenille Disadvantages:
Easily stretched, shrunk or deformed.
Some chenilles can be fragile and absorb moisture/stains quickly unless properly treated.

What is velvet?
Velvet is a soft, dense fabric usually made of silk, cotton, polyester or viscose. According to our in-depth blog "A Guide to Velvet Fabrics" (300208XHT), "Velvet is woven on special looms as a double layer cloth, while pile yarn is made from an additional set of warp yarns. The cut ends of the pile form tufts on the surface Velvet, which creates a plush texture when cut evenly." This is one of the main differences between velvet and chenille. Velvet generally appears denser and smoother than chenille, which has a slightly corded appearance. For more information on the unique properties of velvet, we recommend you check out the above blog.

Look at the difference in fibers between velvet (right) and chenille (left).

Common uses for velvet:
pillows and accents
furniture

Headboard

curtain

certain clothing
Advantages of velvet:
Soft and textured
Silk velvet drapes well
Cotton and synthetic velvet are the most durable
Cons of velvet:
Silk velvet can be exquisite
Not always easy to clean. Be sure to review the care instructions before choosing one for your home.