omgthatdress:

Velvet originated in Kashmir, a region famous for the production of rich and fine textiles.  It moved along the silk road into the Middle East, where it was worn by the nobility of Baghdad from the 8th century.  By the 10th century, Cairo had become the world’s largest manufacturer of velvet.  Some time in the 13th century, around the time of the Italian Rennaissance, Europeans began importing the rich fabric and manufacturing their own.  Because it is usually made of silk and requires a lot of it, velvet remained largely a fabric for the upper-class.   Most examples of early European velvet come in the form of pennants of noble families and in vestments worn by clergy.