# Can someone explain pincord?



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

(From O'Connell's)

Wasn't sure if this was a Fashion Forum question or not, but can someone help me understand pincord? A textile dictionary says it's just a 16+ wale corduroy... (Another one agrees.) Is that right? Are finer wale corduroys by default cooler for some reason? Or are summer pincords made in a lighter weight fabric to begin with? I don't really have any experience with pincord... I guess I'm more of a seersucker kind of guy. 

Also, when did pincord start copying the seersucker stripe pattern? (Or did it arrive there independently? I've never seen striped corduroys otherwise...)


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## JJR512 (May 18, 2010)

Some comments here might be of help and/or interest: https://wasp101.blogspot.com/2008/05/pincord-suit.html


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## Cardinals5 (Jun 16, 2009)

Pincord is indeed something like a very fine corduroy (it's often called "pinwale" or "needlecord"). As a fabric pincord is purported to to work like seersucker in that the ridges allow for better air circulation. Whether that's the case or not, pincord is indeed an excellent choice for a summer suit (or odd trousers) because it's woven thin like seersucker. I have a pincord suit (cotton-poly blend) that gets considerable wear in the summer and think it's a better choice (easier to wear without drawing undue attention) for those hesistant about seersucker. From anything more than a few feet away it just looks like a solid, light blue suit.


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## Kurt N (Feb 11, 2009)

Cardinals5 said:


> Pincord is indeed something like a very fine corduroy (it's often called "pinwale" or "needlecord"). As a fabric pincord is purported....


But if I understood Joe Beamish correctly in an earlier thread (https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?96522-research-for-suit), it's not actually a type of corduroy. The name is in that sense misleading. Just to clarify.


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

Yup. My "pincord" suit from OC isn't actually pincord -- it's a hairline thread fabric that feels smooth to the touch (nor cord like ruffled texture.)

And I like the suit very much indeed.


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

I thought pincord was just a fine seersucker fabric?
The Brooks summer weight suits state that it is seersucker.


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

Point being, some things are marketed as "pincord", but aren't necessarily. As noted, pincord properly has a tiny ruffled texture. My suit (a "pincord" from OC) happens to be a cotton suit (I'm too lazy to go look and see if it's a blend) with a smooth texture, but the same appearance as pincord -- as Paul Winston said, it's a hairline weave (or thread.)

When I bought the suit, OC had a number of similar pincords, not all the same, in stock and some of them might strictly be pincord, some not. I'm sure they're all good, comfortably cool suits.


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## yossarian (Apr 17, 2007)

I like pincord a lot and wish I had a pincord suit instead of a seersucker suit (is that blasphemous?).

My 6 year old son has a pair of pincord pants and his grandmother was suggesting he put on his seersucker pants. He replied, "They're not seersucker. They're pincord!"


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

Ninety percent of people (no, more like 95%) will think your pincord suit IS a seersucker, for what that's worth. Your 6 year old is a super genius.


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## Caesars0331 (Jun 23, 2009)

Joe Beamish said:


> Ninety percent of people (no, more like 95%) will think your pincord suit IS a seersucker, for what that's worth. Your 6 year old is a super genius.


I wore this the other day and heard a few seersucker comments. I do believe its pincord, however.


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## AdamsSutherland (Jan 22, 2008)

Caesars,

I would call that pincord. Is that a raw silk tie?


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## Caesars0331 (Jun 23, 2009)

^^ Yes, JPress that is getting a lot of summer/holiday usage!


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

Good stuff



Caesars0331 said:


> I wore this the other day and heard a few seersucker comments. I do believe its pincord, however.


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## swb120 (Aug 9, 2005)

Beautiful. Shoot...now I want a pincord suit for the summer!


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## yossarian (Apr 17, 2007)

Caesars0331 said:


> I wore this the other day and heard a few seersucker comments. I do believe its pincord, however.


Very nice.


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