Corduroy pak Corduroy suit Corduroy Manchester worksuit

Het corduroy pak.

Een klassieker en het meest bekend van vroeger toen het 'manchester" werkpak het straatbeeld bepaalde. Gemaakt in de ouderwetse kwaliteit van het echte "Manchester" materiaal. De lage broek, de hoge wijde broek, het colbert, het gilet, de pet en het korte werkjasje of klettervest.

 

An original manchester worksuit, "schuttersveld" quality, from the museum collection Friesland

Een jas en bijbehorende broek van ribfluweel of manchester. De jas heeft een reverskraag en sluit aan de voorzijde met een dubbele rij knopen (twee maal vier). In het voorpand zitten twee borstzakken en de jas heeft twee binnenzakken. Het achterpand heeft princessenaden en loopt uit in een punt. De broek sluit aan de voorzijde met knopen en heeft twee steekzakken. Een dergelijk manchester werkpak werd door de boer of de arbeider gedragen tijdens het werk op de boerderij.

A jacket and matching trousers made of corduroy or manchester. The jacket has a lapel collar and closes at the front with a double row of buttons (two times four). There are two chest pockets in the front and the jacket has two inside pockets. The back has princess seams and ends in a point. The pants close with buttons at the front and have two side pockets. Such a Manchester work suit was worn by the farmer or worker while working on the farm.

The story of the corduroy worksuit from Groninger history

The former owner of Vakkledinghuis Groningen tells the story of Manchester Corduroy worksuits and the historic names for them.

 What is

Corduroy is a textile with a distinctively raised "cord" or wale texture. Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel (bare to the base fabric) between them. Both velvet and corduroy derive from fustian fabric. Corduroy looks as if it is made from multiple cords laid parallel to each other.^[1]

Etymology[edit]

A common false etymology holds that the word "corduroy" derives from the French phrase corde du roi or the cord of the king.^[2][3][4]The word corduroy is from cord (i.e., rope) and duroy, which was a coarse woollen cloth made in England in the 18th century.^[5] Notwithstanding, the etymology of duroy is uncertain and that word alone may derive from du roi (of the king) even if the full phrase does not.

Variations[edit]

Corduroy is made by weaving extra sets of fibre into the base fabric to form vertical ridges called wales. The wales are built so that clear lines can be seen when they are cut into pile.

Corduroy is considered a durable cloth and is found in the construction of trousers, jackets, and shirts. The width of the wales varies between fabric styles and is specified by wale count—the number of wales per inch.^[6] A wale is a column of loops running lengthwise, corresponding to the warp of woven fabric.^[7] The lower the number, the thicker the wales' width (e.g., 4-wale is much thicker than 11-wale). Wale count per inch can vary from 1.5 to 21, although the traditional standard is usually between 10 and 12. Wide wale is more commonly used in trousers, and furniture upholstery (primarily couches); medium, narrow, and fine wale fabrics are usually found in garments worn above the waist.

Graphite-coloured standard corduroy to the left showing approx 7 wales-per-inch, with brown needlecord at 16 wales to the inch

The primary types of corduroy are:

• Standard wale, at 11 wales/inch, available in many colours
• Pincord(also called pinwale or needlecord), the finest cord, with a count at the upper end of the spectrum (above 16)
• Pigment dyed/printed corduroy, where the fabric is coloured or printed with pigment dyes. The dye is applied to the surface; then, the garment is cut and sewn. When washed during the final manufacturing phase, the pigment dye washes out in an irregular way, creating a vintage look. Because of these subtle colour variations, no two garments of pigment-dyed corduroy are exactly alike, and their colour becomes softer with each washing.

1756 advertisement mentioning "cordesoys"

Corduroy is traditionally used in making British country clothing, even though its origin lies in items worn by townspeople in industrial areas. Although it has existed for a long time and has been used in Europe since the 18th century, only in the 20th century did it become global, notably expanding in popularity during the 1970s.

Other names[edit]

Other names are often used for corduroy. Alternative names include: corded velveteen, elephant cord (the thick-stripes version), pin cord, Manchester cloth and cords.^[8]

In continental Europe, corduroy is known as "Cord", "rib cord" or "rib velvet" - in parts of Europe such as Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands and Belgium it used to be simply known as "Manchester" - that still remains the current name for corduroy in Swedish. In Portugal, corduroy is associated with a completely different type of fabric, "bombazine", and is referred to as such. In Greece and Cyprus they are known as kotlé pants. In Iran they are referred to as “Makhmal Kebrity” (velvet matchstick) or just “kebrity” (matchstick) pants as the width of a cord resembles that of a matchstick.