Velvet vs Velour: Which Fabric Suits Your Dress

The difference between velvet and velour is the base: velvet is woven, with a dense cut pile that catches the light, and velour is usually knitted, so it stretches and feels softer but looks less formal. For a wedding or holiday party, choose velvet; for a comfortable everyday or casual-party dress, velour is fine.

Both fabrics have a pile, the short upright fibers that make them feel plush when you run a hand over them. That's why they get mixed up on shopping sites. Once you know what sits under the pile, the label and the way the fabric moves tell you which one you're holding.

The difference between velvet and velour

Velvet starts as a woven cloth. Pile yarns are woven in and then cut, which leaves a dense, short, upright surface with a clear shine. Velour is a knit with a cut pile on top, so it has give in every direction and a duller glow. That knit base is also why velour turns up so often in loungewear and tracksuits.

Here is how they compare on the points that matter for a dress:

• Construction: velvet is woven; velour is usually knitted.
• Stretch: classic velvet has none unless elastane is blended in (that's stretch velvet). Velour stretches because of the knit.
• Sheen: velvet has a deep, rich shine that changes as you move. Velour has a soft, dull sheen.
• Drape: silk and rayon velvets pour over the body; polyester velvet is a little stiffer. Velour hangs closer to a heavy jersey.
• Dress code it suits: velvet works from cocktail to black tie. Velour sits at casual and dressy casual.
• Care: velour is usually machine washable. Velvet depends on the fiber, and silk or rayon velvet usually goes to a cleaner.

Velvet can be made from silk, rayon (viscose), cotton or polyester, and silk is the most expensive of the four. Velour is usually polyester or a polyester-cotton blend. The fiber content on the label tells you a lot about drape and care before you even try the dress on.

Velour vs velvet in a dress

Velour vs velvet in a dress comes down to where you're wearing it. Velvet looks dressier: the shine reads as evening, and a velvet midi with long sleeves can go to a wedding, a gala or a holiday dinner without anything else doing the work. Velour looks relaxed, closer to loungewear, even when it's cut as a wrap dress.

For packing, velour wins. A knit springs back after a day in a suitcase, while velvet can come out with crush marks that need steaming. For a desk, a velour wrap dress or a matte stretch velvet with a blazer is easier to wear for eight hours than a shiny silk-blend velvet.

At a party, go velvet. Velour at a cocktail event can look like you came straight from the couch, and that's rarely the effect you want.

Velvet vs velveteen

Velvet vs velveteen is a question of pile and stiffness. Velveteen is usually cotton and has a much shorter pile, so it looks matte, a bit like suede, and holds its shape instead of draping. It doesn't stretch.

That makes velveteen good for structured winter pieces: an A-line skirt, a pinafore, a shift dress with a clean shape. It's less suited to a bias-cut slip or a gown that should move when you walk. For anything that needs flow, choose velvet.

Crushed velvet and stretch velvet

A crushed velvet dress has a pile that was twisted or pressed while wet, so the fibers point in many directions and the shine breaks into patches. The look is very 1990s: think slip dresses and long-sleeve minis. It reads more casual and more playful than smooth velvet, which suits a holiday party or a night out better than a formal wedding.

Stretch velvet has spandex or another elastic fiber in it. It's comfortable, it fits close to the body and it forgives a bit of fit trouble, which is why you'll see it in bodycon dresses and bodysuits. The trade-off is a thinner hand and sometimes a glossier, more synthetic shine. Crushed velvet is often stretch velvet too, so check the fiber line on the label.

Which velvet dress for which occasion

Weddings and black tie optional

For a fall or winter wedding, a velvet midi with long or 3/4 sleeves is about as easy as it gets: warm, dressy and fine in photos. Go floor length if the invitation says black tie; at black tie optional, long is the safe choice once the reception starts after dark. Jewel tones and black are classic; a silk or rayon blend drapes better than stiff polyester. For styles to start from, see our velvet wedding guest dresses.

Holiday and cocktail parties

Holiday parties are where velvet does its best work. A velvet slip dress, a short wrap or a sleeveless sheath looks festive without sequins, and a deep green or burgundy reads as seasonal on its own. Our green Christmas dresses guide has more on that color. When the invitation says festive cocktail attire, velvet is a natural fit. A velvet bow in your hair is an easy finishing touch if the dress itself is plain.

If you'd rather have warmth than shine, our winter cocktail dresses cover sleeves and heavier fabrics too.

Everyday winter

For a regular winter day, velour is the comfortable choice. A velour wrap dress with tights and ankle boots works for errands, a casual lunch or a long flight. Matte stretch velvet does a similar job if you want it to look a little more polished, especially in black or navy with a cardigan.

A velvet buying checklist

Run through this list before you buy, in a store or online:

• Fiber content. Silk and rayon velvets drape and shine more and usually need a cleaner. Polyester velvet is tougher and cheaper, with a slightly stiffer feel. Cotton velvet sits in between.
• Stretch. If you need ease, look for elastane or spandex in the blend. If you want a crisp shape, skip it.
• Lining. A lined velvet dress slides on more easily and won't cling to tights.
• Pile direction. If you sew, cut every pattern piece with the pile running the same way, or the color will look patchy.
• Care label. Read it before you pay. A dry-clean-only velvet costs more over a season than a hand-washable one.

When the dress comes home, our guide on how to wash velvet covers washing, steaming and storing it. For more fabric and styling guides, browse the style guides.