Velveteen is a cloth made in imitation of velvet. Normally cotton, the term is sometimes applied to a mixture of silk and cotton. Some velveteens are a kind of fustian, having a rib of velvet pile alternating with a plain depression. This fabric has a pile that is short (never more than 3mm deep), and is closely set. It has a firm hand, and a slightly sloping pile. Compared to true velvet, velveteen has greater body, does not drape as easily, and has less sheen.
The velveteen trade varies with the fashions that control the production of velvet.