Velvet has a long history, most of it as a silk fabric. During World War II, silk became scarce forcing mills to turn to other fibers like cotton, rayon and acetate. Today silk velvet fabric is still available, but it is a blend of silk and rayon, usually 14% to 18% silk with the balance being rayon. A 100% silk velvet fabric, rarely seen, would be extraordinarily expensive.

Velvet is a pile fabric made by cutting the warp (lengthwise) yarns. Velveteen, a close cousin to velvet and sometimes mistaken for velvet, is also a pile fabric but the pile is formed from the fill yarns (crosswise). Velvet is the more luxurious and generally more expensive of the two fabrics and is produced in a greater variety of types.

Velvet fabrics include traditional rigid velvet, both cotton and synthetic blends, and stretch velvet. The stretch velvet fabrics contain Lycra or other elastic fiber but have varying percentages ranging from 1.3% to 4%. This is luxury, designer quality velvet fabric that looks rich and beautiful with the added benefit of a soft, sensual hand.

Easy2source.com lists a wide variety of Velvet Fabrics in different designs and shapes. To view the exhaustive list with information on its suppliers click here.