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Esquire published a guide to corduroy covering the fabric’s history, its distinctive ridges and ways to wear it. The article recommends starting with a jacket or trousers and notes that corduroy’s warmth and texture make it a practical, casual option.
Esquire has published a guide to corduroy, explaining how the ribbed fabric is made, how its wale widths differ and how readers can add it to a wardrobe. The article presents corduroy as a warm, durable and textured option, with jackets and five-pocket trousers suggested as straightforward starting points.
The guide traces corduroy to fustian, a category of heavy cloth commonly woven from cotton, while noting that fustian has also had wool and linen versions. Esquire says corduroy’s distinctive ridges, called wales, come from extra thread woven into a base cloth and then trimmed to create raised lines and channels. The modern form developed in Manchester around the middle of the 18th century, according to the article.
Wale count describes how many ridges fit into an inch: a lower count means wider, chunkier ridges, while a higher count produces finer ribbing. Esquire puts standard corduroy at roughly 11 to 13 wales per inch and pinwale, or needlecord, at around 16 or more. It says wider wale styles tend to look more rugged, while finer versions appear more refined.
The guide recommends beginning with a corduroy jacket or five-pocket trousers, then considering an overshirt, button-up or full suit. It advises taking the fabric’s warmth into account and says the ribs can make a soft rubbing sound as they move. For outfit pairings, the article suggests avoiding pieces that feel sharply at odds with corduroy’s casual character, such as highly technical sportswear or especially formal, polished items.
Corduroy as an Everyday Layer
The guide matters to readers who like corduroy but are unsure how to wear it: it turns a fabric often associated with particular eras or academic stereotypes into a set of practical choices. Its advice is to start with one piece rather than treat corduroy as an all-or-nothing look, and to choose the wale width according to the effect a wearer prefers.
It also links styling to use. Corduroy’s warmth and hard-wearing construction can suit cooler weather, while its visible texture adds contrast to an outfit. Those qualities have limits: the article cautions that the material can feel warmer than other fabrics, and its casual, country-leaning appearance may not sit naturally alongside every formal or technical garment.
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From Workwear to Menswear
Esquire describes corduroy’s early role as a durable workwear fabric, followed by its adoption in British country clothing and wider international use. In the United States, it became associated with academia during the first half of the 20th century, helping create the familiar image of a professor wearing a worn corduroy jacket, sometimes with elbow patches.
The article says corduroy became prominent in 1960s counterculture and boomed in the 1970s, appearing on prominent men both on screen and off. Its popularity has since risen and fallen, Esquire writes, but the guide argues that it remains a menswear staple whose look depends on how it is worn.
One popular story says the word comes from the French phrase “corde du roi,” or “cord of the king.” Esquire says that explanation is probably apocryphal and that the word’s origin is not known for certain. The guide also distinguishes Bedford cord: it has vertical ridges and workwear associations, but those ridges are formed by the weave itself rather than by added threads that are later trimmed.
““It’s warm, it’s hard-wearing, it delivers texture galore.””
— Esquire’s guide to corduroy
Origins and Fit Still Vary
The guide says the word’s origin is uncertain; it does not establish that “corde du roi” is the source. Its account of the fabric’s history is presented as a concise style guide, not a new historical study. The article also does not provide product testing results or comparative performance data for specific garments, despite explaining that Esquire’s product links may earn commissions.
There is no single recommendation for which wale width or garment will suit every wearer. The guide offers broad style distinctions, but comfort, warmth and outfit preferences vary. It does not identify a particular season’s sales figures or report a measurable change in corduroy’s popularity.
Choosing a First Corduroy Piece
The article gives readers no launch date, follow-up report or scheduled next development. Its practical next step is a wardrobe choice: try a jacket or five-pocket trousers, consider whether a finer or wider wale better suits the intended look, and account for the fabric’s warmth and texture when planning an outfit.
Readers considering a purchase can compare the garment’s construction, fabric weight and care instructions, since the guide does not assess specific products in this article. The broader question of whether corduroy’s popularity is rising remains unanswered by the source; the guide focuses on its history and styling rather than market trends.
Key Questions
What makes corduroy different from other fustian fabrics?
Corduroy has raised vertical ridges called wales. Esquire says these are made by weaving extra thread into the base fabric and trimming it to create ridges and channels.
What does the wale count mean?
It is the number of ridges per inch. A lower count gives wider ridges; a higher count gives finer ones. Esquire lists standard corduroy at about 11 to 13 wales per inch and pinwale at around 16 or more.
What is a simple way to start wearing corduroy?
The guide suggests starting with a corduroy jacket or five-pocket trousers. An overshirt or button-up is another option, while a full suit is a bolder choice.
Is Bedford cord the same as corduroy?
No. Bedford cord has vertical ridges, but its ridges are formed by the way the base fabric is woven, rather than by adding and trimming extra threads as in corduroy.
Source: esquire.com
