Corduroy Comeback

It was once hot, then very much not, but it seems on the cusp of winter 2019 that we are set to once again embrace the nostalgic familiarity and dependable practicality of corduroy.

As designers from Karen Walker and twenty-seven names, Working Style and Leo+Be saturate the market with winter warmers that capture the heavy yet plush aesthetic of this ribbed fabric, we look at the long and bumpy road of this sartorial mainstay.

Corduroy is believed to have first laid its roots down in the ancient Egyptian city of Al-Fustat, which became something of a ground zero of tough woven fabrics around the second century. While the city was later burnt down in the midst of the Crusades, its legacy was the predecessor fabric to corduroy, which became known as ‘fustian’ on account of its namesake.

While heavy duty and hard wearing was the name of this sartorial game, it didn’t feature the raised cords we have come to associate with corduroy. While the story of how corduroy got its cords is up for debate, its 21st-century resurgence isn’t.

Skirting the perfect line between form and function, it can be dressed up or down, it holds its shape and is easy to care for. So if you’re after a comfortable, casual and yet cosy look for this season, corduroy might just be the answer.