Corduroy, the World’s Most Unsexy Fabric, Makes a Cool Comeback

Corduroy—what is there to say about the rigid and ribbed fabric? Well, it’s somewhat unsexy. Not even a tight-fitting bell bottom or kicky cord shirt have graced red hot street style stars like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. (To add to its buttoned-up reputation, there’s a children’s book called Corduroy about a stuffed animal bear.) It is far from a nightlife staple; we have yet to see a corduroy slip dress saunter into a cocktail party. Corduroy is more of a uniformed schoolgirl go-to, a retro daytime material. At its best, it was once worn by Carolyn Bessette as a pair of flares with a simple black turtleneck.

But despite its uptight nature and distinct lack of romance, the fabric made a cool comeback on the Fall 2017 runways in autumnal hues like burgundy, chestnut, and canary yellow. (Ermanno Scervino went the outré route with a pretty shade of lavender.) Mostly, it showed up in its tried-and-true incarnations—as a suit at Kenzo, where the waist was nipped and a graphic pattern was traced down the arms and legs. At Prada, trousers got a much needed update on one model, who wore a low-slung pair of pants that slouched at the ankles. At Y/Project, there was even a ruffed cuff on some marigold slacks. Those searching for a more modest take on the fabric should look to Mulberry, which showed a maxi skirt in corduroy. The most hip take? Marc Jacobs managed to wriggle Jenner into some corduroy duds—blood red flares and a matching shearling-trimmed jacket—plus, a blinged-out necklace to add some shine. Now, let’s see if the paparazzi-bait model takes the head-turning look to the street and turns it all around.