Chair Slipcovers How to Select a Chair Slipcover

Almost every house has one.the favorite chair. Sometimes its a recliner placed strategically in front of the entertainment center. While in other homes it a nice, deep armchair just made for reading books placed under a sunny window.

But it doesnt matter what your favorite chairs style is if it is covered with pet hair, or badly stained from food accidents, or has prematurely darkened armrests caused by sweat or body oils.

No matter what cleaners you use or how often you clean it, your favorite chair has long lost its good looks. You may have heard that you can use a chair slipcover to hide away its tattered and worn upholstery while protecting it from further damage. But just what things should you look for when selecting slipcovers for chairs?

What to look for in a Chair Slipcover

A chair slipcover is a specially designed piece of fabric that is used to cover and protect the original upholstery of a chair. Chair slipcovers can come in many different colors and styles. But the two most basic designs you need to be aware of and understand are the terms: ready-made and tailor-made.

A ready-made chair slipcover is a semi-fitted mass-produced covering that can work with a wide variety of chair styles and sizes. Ready-made coverings became very popular in the 1960s when the cost of making these one-piece coverings became less than the cost of getting them hand tailored. The type of chair slipcover is easily found online or in specialty retail stores.

A more traditional chair slipcover is hand sewn by a slipcover professional or upholstery shop. Hand crafted slipcovers were originally made by tapestry weavers and were used to protect the furnishings of the very rich. But during the 18th and 19th century chair slipcovers became a fashion accessory all on their own.

As slipcovers for chairs became the vogue, slipcover makers, often immigrants from Europe would go to the homes of their wealthy clients and measure and cut out fabrics on site. Then the men would return to their homes or shops and have their womenfolk do the actual sewing.

Chair slipcover makers were often nicknamed summer time millionaires due to the amount of money that could be made in the slipcover industry. These artisans are all almost gone. The few remaining shops and designers that do custom slipcovers often are even more expensive than their predecessors.

Another factor to consider besides color is the actual fabric that a chair slipcover can be made from. You can choose either natural fiber fabrics like linen, cotton or ramie. Or work with a synthetic fabric made from acrylic, nylon or polyester. The best fabric is a blend of natural and man-made materials for durability, ease of cleaning and shape and fit.

As you can see selecting the right slipcover for a chair is not as difficult as you may think. By deciding earlier on what style you can afford to buy: ready-made or tailor-made plus looking closely at your lifestyle; you can choose a chair slip cover that will last for years.