Fabric families for upholstery: velvet, bouclé, mohair, linen

At a glance

The first column is the family; the cloth you buy is a construction within it. No standard defines these families for upholstery, so the columns describe trade practice. Every figure comes from the supplier's test report.

Five families at a glance

Velvet has a cut pile; bouclé has a looped surface; chenille is a soft tufted yarn; mohair is a fibre that can make a pile or flat cloth; linen is a flax fibre in a plain or slubbed weave. The families overlap: a mohair velvet is both, and a linen blend is partly something else. So the schedule should record the fibre content, the construction and a supplier reference, not the family name alone. We found no standard that defines these families for upholstery, so the descriptions here are trade practice.

Velvet and pile direction

A pile cloth is directional: the fibres lean one way, and the cloth looks lighter or darker depending on the direction you look from. Trade practice is that pile running up gives a deeper colour and pile running down a lighter one, but which direction reads better is a design choice, so decide it and draw it. The risk is mixed direction: a seat cut one way and a back cut the other reads as two different colours even though the cloth is the same.

Rules for the schedule: state the pile direction on each panel on the shop drawing, cut all pieces of one item from the same direction, and keep one run for the whole job where you can. Seams and curves make pile direction harder to hold, so ask the workshop how it will cut an arm or a curved back. Our yardage sheet explains why directional cloth raises the quantity needed.

Pile can also crush or mark where it is sat on or touched. Whether a given velvet recovers is a property of that cloth, so ask the supplier and look at a sample that has been pressed and brushed.

Bouclé, chenille, mohair and linen

Bouclé. The loops are the character and the weakness: larger or looser loops catch more easily on rings, watches and claws, and a pulled loop should be trimmed, not pulled tighter. Choose the loop scale from a sample and read the rub result together with the construction, not the rub result alone.

Chenille. The soft tufted yarn gives a furry hand. It can shade, flatten or shed depending on how it is made, so ask for the test report of the actual cloth.

Mohair. Mohair is a fibre from the Angora goat, used in pile and flat cloths. Because the fibre does not define the construction, ask for the fibre content and the construction. We do not repeat the fibre-based durability and fire claims sometimes made for it: they are not sourced.

Linen. Flax fabric creases, and slubs (thick spots in the yarn) are natural. Blends change the behaviour. Decide whether creasing is part of the look; if not, ask for a blend or a different cloth and see the supplier’s test results.

Seams, cleaning and tests

Seams. A seam can slip or pull in a cloth with a loose weave, a pile or loops. Ask for seam slippage results (see fabric performance tests) and for the seam type and thread to be named. A velvet seam must also keep the pile direction on both sides.

Cleaning. Cleaning instructions are cloth-specific. Ask for the manufacturer’s method in writing, and see cleaning and wipeable fabrics for hospitality regimes. Blot, do not rub, is the usual advice for pile and looped surfaces; confirm for the actual cloth.

Tests. Rub (ISO 12947), pilling (ISO 12945-2), light fastness (ISO 105-B02) and rubbing fastness (ISO 105-X12) are explained on our tests sheet. Fire is judged on the finished composite: see how to read a fire test report and interliners.

Make Bespoke Studio coordinates manufacture through partner workshops; which cloths a partner holds is confirmed project by project and is not stated here.

Fabric [item ref]: [velvet / bouclé / chenille / mohair / linen / other], fibre content [ ] per cent [fibre], construction [cut pile / loop / flat weave], supplier reference [ ], colour [ ], width [ ] mm, as per signed sample [ref]. Family names and trade names are not accepted as a description.

Pile direction [up / down] on all panels, marked on shop drawing [ref]. All pieces of one item are cut from the same run in the same direction. Pattern or loop scale is matched as drawing [ref]. [Partner workshop] states how arms and curves will be cut before approval.

Seams [type], thread [ ], placed as drawing [ref]. Supplier provides seam slippage results to [method]. Looped or pile cloths: [loop / pile] is not to be pulled or flattened by pressing or fixing.

Before approval [supplier] provides results for rub to [method and cycles], pilling to [method and grade], light fastness to [method and grade], rubbing fastness to [method and grade], and a fire report for the finished composite where required. A cleaning method for the actual cloth is provided in writing and included in the handover pack.

Standards and sources

• ISO 12947 (Martindale), ISO 12945-2 (pilling), ISO 105-B02 (light), ISO 105-X12 (rubbing), ISO 13936 (seam slippage): as described on our fabric tests sheet; previews and listings read on 5 Nov 2026. Confirm current editions on BSI Knowledge.

Questions we are asked

Does the direction of velvet pile matter?

Yes. Pile reads lighter or darker depending on the direction, so a seat and back cut in opposite directions can look like two colours. Decide the direction, mark it on the drawing and cut all pieces the same way.

Is bouclé suitable for a dining chair?

It depends on the loop scale and the construction. Larger loops snag more easily. Ask for a sample, the rub and snag-related results and the care instructions for the actual cloth.

Is mohair always hard-wearing?

Mohair is a fibre, not a construction, so the cloth decides. Ask for the fibre content and the test report instead of relying on the name.

Will linen crease?

Yes, flax fabrics crease. Decide whether that is acceptable; if not, ask for a blend and its test results.

What should I ask the supplier for?

The fibre content, the construction, the test results named on the specification, the cleaning method and, where required, a fire report for the finished composite.