Velour, occasionally velours, is a plush, knitted fabric or textile similar to velvetorvelveteen. It can be made from polyester, spandex, or cotton, or a cotton-polyester blend.[1] Velour is used in a wide variety of applications, including clothing and upholstery.[2] Velour typically has a medium-length pile, shorter than velvet but longer than velveteen.[3]
Velour originated in France, although it is unclear who first created it. Velour is a knitted fabric, which makes it stretchy (unlike velvet and velveteen, which are woven). Velour is soft, allows freedom of movement, and is used for activewear and loungewear.[4] Historically, velour was cheaper than velvet and was thus often used for home furnishings and decor which would take heavy wear and tear. However, modern manufacturing techniques make velvet affordable for home furnishings.[5] The low cost of velour allows for its use by people of all economic classes.[6]
Pop culture was revolutionized in the 1970s,[7] mainly through fashion. Velour gained popularity through clothing trends and appearances in multimedia genres. [8] Through athleisure tracksuits, [9] the fabric established itself as a culture-challenging textile of the decade. [8]
Juicy Couture’s velour tracksuits were the fabric’s biggest claim to fame in pop culture. Velour tracksuits created countless iconic fashion moments in the early 2000s. In 2001, Jennifer Lopez began to popularize both the brand and fabric by wearing a pink Juicy Couture tracksuit in a music video. [10] The fabric was popularized with the likes of Britney Spears fashioning her bridesmaids in matching pink velour tracksuits and Lindsay Lohan giving the Juicy Couture velour tracksuit its red carpet debut. [11]
The tracksuit’s popularity continued to increase through Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton. They wore countless matching velour sets while filming their reality TV show, The Simple Life. [10] The fabric became a defining feature of Y2K fashion. With the rise in celebrity engagement for the Juicy Couture brand, the brand’s velour tracksuit took over Hollywood’s music, and television scenes. This provided a similar effect for the velour fabric itself. [10]
From 2003-2008, McBling fashion branched from the Y2K style.[12] This movement was characterized by cropped clothing, bright colours, sparkles, and textured fabrics.[12] Velour was often used in the McBling fashion period. By 2008, the McBling style lost its popularity among young people and was countered by a rise in minimalist fashion, but the trend had a resurgence in the 2020s.[12] Rediscovered through social media during COVID-19, many celebrities returned to wearing velour clothing. Brands, including Juicy Couture, regained popularity.[13]
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