You know traditional corduroy, that classic woven fabric that can sometimes be as stiff as a board. But have you met its much more easy-going cousin, knitted corduroy? This modern evolution redefines the textile, directly addressing the limitations you face with its woven counterpart.
Woven corduroy’s construction limits stretch, often increasing production costs. Let’s be honest—basically hibernating for half the year. This seasonal nature can put a real damper on your design calendar.
Enter knitted corduroy, the problem-solver. It offers superior stretch, exceptional comfort, and production efficiency that feels almost like a superpower. For any children’s clothing manufacturer, this translates into durable, easy-care garments kids can actually move in. This guide explores why it’s the smart, modern choice.
Table of Contents
What is Knitted Corduroy?
Knitted corduroy is a unique type of fabric made through knitting rather than weaving. Unlike traditional woven corduroy, where the ribs (called wales) are created by cutting pile yarns, knitted corduroy forms its ribbed texture by looping yarns during the knitting process. This difference makes the fabric softer and much more flexible.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Fiber Composition | 100% Cotton or Cotton-Polyester Blend with Spandex (typically 2-5%) |
| Width | 58-60 inches |
| Weight (GSM) | 280-320 GSM |
| Thickness | 0.65-0.75 mm |
| Wale Count | 8-15 wales per inch (standard: 11 wales/inch) |
| Wale Height | 1/8″ vertical repeat |
| Density | 90-100 x 195-210 Denier |
| Stretch | Bidirectional stretch |
| Breathability | Medium |
Softer and Stretchier Fabric
Because the ribs are looped and not cut, knitted corduroy has a velvet-like touch that feels gentle on the skin. It stretches naturally, giving you more comfort and freedom of movement. This makes it ideal for casual wear or clothing that needs to stretch.
Better Draping and Comfort
The knitted structure allows the fabric to drape beautifully. It flows and moves with you, unlike woven corduroy, which can be stiffer. This improved drape helps create more modern, stylish garments with a relaxed fit.
Durable and Practical
Despite its softness and stretch, knitted corduroy holds up well over time. The loops add resilience, reducing pilling and wear. This means your products can maintain their attractive look and feel even after multiple washes.
Production Process: How Knitted Corduroy is Made
To create high-quality knitted corduroy, the process begins with selecting the right yarns. Typically, the suede warp yarn is made from fine 120Nm silk yarn, while the ground warp uses 50Ne cotton yarn. Sometimes, blends of cotton and silk are chosen to balance softness and durability. Each type of yarn serves a unique purpose—suede warp yarn forms the raised ribs or cords, and ground warp yarn builds the fabric’s base.
Yarn Preparation and Setup
Before knitting starts, yarns are carefully reeled and wound onto groove drums. Importantly, pile yarn (suede) and ground yarn are prepared separately because the fabric has a multi-layer structure that depends on these different yarns working together.
Advanced Knitting Machines
Modern production uses specialized equipment like the MPS175 twin-rapier loom. This machine is special because it knits the fabric and creates the pile (the raised cords) in one smooth step. The suede yarn forms loops on the fabric surface during knitting thanks to a clever needle design.
Creating the Cord Texture
There are two main ways the loops turn into the final texture:
- Loop pile: loops are left intact, giving a soft, textured surface.
- Cut pile: loops are trimmed after knitting for a smooth, velvet-like feel.
Trimming is done with shorning machines to make sure every pile is the exact height, ensuring uniformity across the fabric.
Finishing Touches for Quality and Feel
After knitting and trimming, the fabric goes through several finishing steps:
- Brushing: Raises the fiber surface to add softness and shine.
- Combing: Aligns the pile fibers so they stand neatly.
- Washing: Removes any residues like adhesives or stabilizers.
- Singeing: Makes the fabric surface smooth and even.
Finally, the fabric is dyed and printed for rich color and attractive patterns.
Suggested Reading: What is Ice Silk: Key Features and Applications
Materials Used in Knitted Corduroy
When choosing materials for knitted corduroy, you want to balance comfort, durability, and stretch to fit your needs perfectly. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:
Cotton – The Foundation of Comfort
- Softness and Breathability: Cotton is the most common base for knitted corduroy. It makes the fabric feel soft and keeps it breathable.
- Comfort Focus: Perfect if comfort is your priority. Cotton suits casual wear, children’s clothing, and loungewear.
- Usage Range: Typically makes up 50% to 100% of the fabric, depending on the desired softness.
Polyester Blends – Built for Durability and Easy Care
- Strong and Resilient: Adding polyester to cotton increases durability. It helps the fabric resist wrinkles and shrinkage.
- Quick Drying: Polyester speeds up drying time, making garments ready for frequent use.
- Typical Blend: Found in 20% to 50% of the fabric, often used in uniforms or outerwear that undergo heavy use.
Spandex/Elastane – For Stretch and Flexibility
- Stretch Power: Even with a small percentage (2–10%), spandex can add stretch up to 30–40%. This means more comfort and fit.
- Where It Works: Ideal for elastic waistbands, cuffs, or fitted clothing that requires movement and flexibility.
Rayon and Other Synthetics – For a Soft, Elegant Touch
- Smooth Feel and Draping: Rayon or silky synthetics are added to create a unique softness and graceful drape.
- Selective Use: Often mixed in up to 20% to give the fabric a touch of luxury, changing its weight and hand feel.
Common Uses of Knitted Corduroy
Knitted corduroy, with its unique softness and stretch, is an ideal choice for various industries and product categories, offering you diverse application opportunities.
- Casual Apparel: Knitted corduroy is perfect for everyday wear, such as t-shirts, joggers, and comfortable tops. These garments benefit from the fabric’s ability to move with the body, providing all-day comfort. The stretch allows these garments to maintain their shape while offering ample freedom of movement.
- Outerwear and Insulating Clothing: Coats, jackets, and vests can benefit from knitted corduroy’s warmth and stylish appearance. This fabric offers excellent insulation while maintaining an elegant look. Compared to traditional corduroy, the knitted version is lighter and more flexible, catering to modern consumers’ demand for comfort (making it a preferred choice among Japanese clothing manufacturers).
- Structured and Formal Wear: Dresses, skirts, and trousers can showcase the advantages of knitted corduroy. The fabric’s stretch allows these garments to fit well, while the classic corduroy texture adds visual appeal and a sense of quality. These products are ideal for markets seeking comfort and style.
- Home Textiles and Deco: In addition to apparel, knitted corduroy is suitable for home textiles like throw pillows, seat cushions, and decorative items. The fabric’s durability ensures long-lasting use, while its unique texture adds visual depth to living spaces.
- Workwear and Uniform: Knitted corduroy’s durability makes it an excellent choice for workwear and professional uniforms. The fabric can withstand daily wear and tear while maintaining a clean, professional appearance, offering enterprises a cost-effective solution.
Expert Advice: For each end use, lock in fabric GSM, wale height, and elastane %, and request anti-pilling/soft-touch finishes upfront; ask suppliers for pilling, colorfastness, and stretch-recovery test reports to speed approvals and reduce return risk.
Xu Yen, Woven Fabric Solutions Expert
Limitations and Considerations of Knitted Corduroy
When choosing knitted corduroy, it’s important to understand its limitations to make the best decisions for your products.
Durability and Wear Resistance
- Prone to pilling: Frequent washing or heavy use can cause small fabric balls called pills to form, which affects the fabric’s smooth surface.
- Lower abrasion resistance: Compared to woven corduroy, knitted corduroy wears down faster, especially under conditions involving a lot of friction or rough use.
- Shorter lifespan under stress: The fabric’s ribbed texture (wale) can flatten or lose shape quickly when exposed to repeated pressure or washing.
Structural Strength and Fabric Integrity
- Less tensile and tear strength: The knitting process makes the fabric flexible but reduces its overall strength compared to traditional woven corduroy.
- Rib definition degrades: Extended wear or washing breaks down the ribs’ clear and raised look, affecting the fabric’s characteristic style.
- Not recommended for heavy-duty use: Because of its weaker structural integrity, avoid using knitted corduroy for industrial or workwear items.
Maintenance and Appearance
- Loss of elasticity and rib recovery: Over time, the fabric may lose its stretch and ability to bounce back, making it look worn out.
- Edge curling risk: Without proper finishing, edges may curl, which can impact garment presentation and durability.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the potential of knitted corduroy is undeniable. To fully leverage this innovative fabric, requires more than just a supplier; it demands a true manufacturing partner with specialized expertise.
This is where knowledge makes the difference. At LeelineApparel, our deep expertise in custom clothing manufacturing ensures that materials like knitted corduroy are handled with the precision they require, guaranteeing quality and consistency in every production run.
Call us for a consultation, and let’s discuss how our customization capabilities can seamlessly turn your vision for knitted corduroy into a successful finished product.
FAQs About Knitted Corduroy
1. Are there any special considerations for printing or dyeing this fabric?
Knitted corduroy takes dye beautifully, resulting in rich colors. However, due to its textured surface, direct-to-garment printing is not ideal; sublimation or heat-transfer printing on a polyester-blend version yields the sharpest results.
2. Is knitted corduroy suitable for all seasons, or is it still a cold-weather fabric?
Its knit construction makes it far more breathable than woven corduroy. In lighter weights, it’s perfectly suitable for transitional seasons like spring and fall, expanding its application beyond just winter.
3. How does knitted corduroy perform in terms of pilling?
With a high polyester content, pilling is minimal. The fabric is designed for commercial laundering and maintains its appearance well over time, a key advantage for children’s wear that will be washed frequently.
