Anyone from the 70s can attest to the sublimely soft feel of velour, a fabric that found its way into numerous garments, providing a luxurious yet more durable substitute to its high society sibling of velvet. It’s less fragile fibers and lightweight feel made it the perfect fabric for sports apparel, lounging clothes, and anywhere else where it could provide its pampering texture.

Velour, which is French for velvet, is part of a family of three fabrics that include velvet, velveteen and velour. The manufacturing process is the same for all three, weaving loops of fiber between two fabric bases. When these fabrics are peeled apart, the hair-like result on each side provides a supple and soft fabric. The only difference in the three versions of this fabric are the fibers used to create them. Velvet is generally made of silk, nylon or acetate, while velveteen and velour utilize cotton – the former a short and dense version and the latter employing a looser weave.

Velour was introduced alongside another iconic fabric of the era called terrycloth. Together, these two fabrics comprised just about every comfortable garment available at the time, thanks to their affordability and luxurious texture. Jogging suits were naturally suited for velour, but so were more formal items such as Kennington shirts, complete with a V-neck to prominently display those gold disco chains.

Today, velour remains all but a fond memory of the 70s, although it did enjoy a brief revival in the 90s, thanks primarily to nostalgia. Of course, nostalgia can be a powerful force in the world and perhaps it is too soon to count out velour entirely. Fashion has a funny way of coming back around when you least expect it and who knows, maybe we will all be basking in a comfortable wrap of velour in the decades to come.