A novel cut pile fabric (210) and a method of making same is disclosed. The cut pile fabric (210) includes a needled non-woven batt (14) of staple fibers (12) that has an integral carrier member (74) formed by fusing a face surface (22) of the needled batt. A texturized surface is formed on the batt (14) using a texturized needle loom (17) which punches through the batt (14) from the one surface (20) (called the back surface) of the batt so that texturized loops (76) project from the carrier member (74). The non-texturized back surface (20) of the batt (14) has a backing (24) applied as by latexing, fusing, or the like, with the texturized loops (76) being tigered by a tigering roll (28) to break, fracture or cut a high percentage of the loops (76). The tigered pile is polished by a polishing roll (34) to remove the crimps in the fibers and to orient the fibers in a direction transverse to the plane of the batt (14) prior to being sheared in a shear (36). A denser, plusher, lighter weight cut pile fabric is produced having increased stability and strength.