Originally known as the “poor man’s velvet” when invented in the 18th century, Corduroy enjoyed enormous popularity in 1970s men’s clothes and was made into suits, blazers, leisure suits, shirts, and jeans (“cords”).
Popular colours were tan, brown, burgundy, and bottle-green. The fabric also appeared made into women’s skirts, but on the whole it was thought of by designers as a men’s material. Corduroy suffered greatly from its association with the 1970s – items made in this fabric vanished for many years after the end of the decade.
