Pinwale is a type of corduroy fabric with very narrow ridges. Corduroy has a distinctive texture of parallel raised lines called wales (like tiny speed bumps running in one direction), and pinwale corduroy has the thinnest, finest wales of all. The ridges are so narrow they almost look smooth from a distance, giving the fabric a subtle, refined texture.

Regular corduroy might have thick, chunky ridges you can easily see and feel, the kind you might find on work pants or casual jackets. Pinwale corduroy, by contrast, has ridges so fine they feel almost velvety. You might find pinwale in dressier shirts, skirts, or blazers when someone wants the interesting texture of corduroy without the casual, rugged look.

When you run your hand across pinwale fabric, you can feel the subtle texture, but it doesn't have the bold, obvious lines of wide-wale corduroy. It's like comparing fine sandpaper to coarse sandpaper: both have texture, but one is much more delicate than the other.