Put three swatches of the same deep emerald in front of most shoppers and the differences disappear. Turn each one over, stretch it between your fingers and rub a thumb across the surface, though, and they separate fast. Velvet, velour and velveteen all take their softness from a pile — thousands of threads standing up from a base cloth — but they are built in quite different ways, which is why one belongs on a sofa, another on a tracksuit, and another on a pair of curtains.

The short answer

If you remember nothing else from this page, remember the construction behind each name:

• Velvet — woven, dense and short-piled, with the deepest lustre. Best for occasionwear, curtains, cushions and upholstery accents.
• Velour — usually knitted, with a longer, looser pile and real stretch. Best for tracksuits, loungewear, robes, towels and some upholstery.
• Velveteen — woven cotton with a short, dense pile that stands up to everyday wear. Best for children's clothes, curtains, craft and family sofas.

Velvet: woven, dense and unmistakably lustrous

Real velvet is woven on a double-cloth loom: two lengths of fabric are built face to face with the pile threads running between them, then a blade slices them apart. The result is an even, deep surface with no visible weave and a pile of roughly two to three millimetres — short, dense and tightly packed.

Fibre content varies enormously. Silk velvet is the softest and the most expensive, viscose and rayon velvets drape beautifully and catch light like liquid, cotton velvet is matte and hardwearing, and polyester velvet is the budget workhorse. Stretch velvet is usually a knit with elastane added, which makes it comfortable for dresses and leggings but far less structured.

What velvet does superbly: drape, colour depth, glamour. What it does less well: life with children, pets and mugs of tea. The pile crushes, water leaves marks, and pressure from sitting creates shadows that need steaming out. Cheap polyester velvet can look flat and slightly clammy rather than rich.

Velour: the stretchy, plush everyday fabric

Velour is where most of the confusion starts, because the word covers two different things. Historically it was a woven pile fabric, and you will still find woven velour in upholstery. The velour in most shops today is a knit. That knit construction gives it sideways stretch, a slightly spongy handle and a pile that is noticeably longer and looser than velvet's — a difference you can feel with your eyes closed.

The longer pile makes velour matte rather than glossy, and rather towel-like in appearance. Cotton and cotton-blend velour is what tracksuits, babygrows and dressing gowns are made from; polyester velour turns up in upholstery and cheaper loungewear. It washes well and feels warm, but the loose knit pile pills and snags, and cut edges curl, which makes it fiddly for sharp tailoring.

Velveteen: short pile, sturdy and forgiving

Velveteen is woven rather than knitted, and its pile is made differently from velvet's. Instead of two cloths being cut apart, extra weft (filling) yarns are woven in and then cut to create the pile. It is almost always cotton or cotton-rich, which is why it feels firmer and slightly drier in the hand than velvet.

The pile is shorter and denser than velour's, with a soft sheen rather than a shimmer. It holds its shape, resists crushing and handles everyday use far better than fine velvet. That makes it the traditional choice for children's party dresses, waistcoats, curtains, cushion covers, upholstery and soft toys. It will not drape like silk velvet, and it reads more homely than glamorous.

Pile height, fibre and durability compared

• Pile height: velour longest, velvet in the middle, velveteen shortest and densest.
• Lustre: velvet highest, especially silk and viscose; velveteen a soft sheen; velour matte.
• Stretch: velour yes, because it is a knit; velvet only if elastane is blended in; velveteen none.
• Crush resistance: velveteen best, velour middling, velvet worst.
• Abrasion and pilling: velveteen and good-quality polyester velour hold up well; cotton velour and fine silk velvet less so.
• Cleaning: velveteen and velour are the most forgiving; velvet usually wants dry cleaning.

If the fabric is destined for a sofa, ask about its abrasion rating rather than trusting the name on the label, and order a sample to sit on for a week before committing.

Buying and care tips that save regrets

• Read the fibre content first. A cotton velveteen at a modest price will outlast a thin polyester "velvet" every time.
• Test the pile. Press your thumb into the fabric and release. If the mark stays, expect the same on a sofa.
• Mind the nap. Velvet and velveteen change shade depending on pile direction. Buy all you need in one go and cut every piece running the same way.
• Never iron pile flat. Steam from the reverse over a folded towel, or hover the iron above the surface using a scrap of the fabric as a pressing cloth.
• Wash sensibly. Velour and velveteen cope with a cool, gentle machine cycle and a low spin; dry flat or on low heat. Velvet is safest dry cleaned, or hand washed cool and dried away from direct heat.
• Store velvet on padded hangers rather than

  Photo: Farbsynthese / Pixabay