There are three general style types of carpet: 1) Cut pile carpet is that in which the pile fibers are clipped or cut in the manufacturing process; 2) Loop pile carpet is manufactured on equipment that leaves the loop intact providing continuous threads of yarn on the surface; 3) Cut/Loop pile carpet is a style incorporating both cut pile and loop pile to create various textural effects. These three style type categories include the terms more commonly used in the residential market, saxony, plush, berber, velvet and frieze.

Economics, aesthetic value, maintenance, and interior requirements must all be considered in selection of the style type to be used. A tufted loop pile carpet of an equivalent pile weight and similar backing system is often less costly than its cut pile or cut/loop counterpart. Aesthetic values, however, sometimes favor the selection of cut pile carpeting over loop pile. Maintenance considerations could be more favorable on cut/loop carpet than on a cut pile; and on loop pile more so than on cut/loop carpet. The interior design requirements could call for a combination of style types adding textural variety, while addressing specific performance considerations in the project's respective work areas.