PURPOSE: To obtain a duplex pile fabric having the napped back surface, both homogeneous front and back surfaces and extremely soft hand.

CONSTITUTION: Front surface piles 5 of a front surface pile knitted fabric 1 having a ground weave 4 made of synthetic fiber such as polyester or acrylic fiber are cut and the ground weave 4 is then heated with a tumbler to shrink the stitch thereof. The back surface piles 6 are subsequently napped or the front surface piles of a duplex pile knitted fabric having a ground weave made of cotton is cut and the ground weave is then brought into contact with heated steam. The back surface piles are subsequently napped. Thereby, the objective knitted fabric having the front surface piles 5 having a long fiber length and sufficiently napped back surface piles 6 is obtained without pulling the front surface piles 5 to the side of the back surface.