Difficult-to-Describe Yet Essential Properties of Tailoring Fabrics
There are many more properties of sewing materials beyond composition, weave, and grammage. Today, we’ll explore those qualities that are hard to capture in words or numbers—properties better showcased in photos, and even better experienced by touch.
I've already written two posts about the properties of sewing fabrics, and this one will continue that discussion. If you want to organize your knowledge of fabric composition, weave, and weight, I recommend reading "Types of Fabric: What to Sew With, What to Wear?" For a closer look at some of the properties we’ll discuss today, check out "This material that really needs to be felt." That post gives a general overview, but today, we’ll dive into more specifics!
How can we describe tailoring fabrics beyond composition, weave, and weight? The devil is in the details, and each of these properties can be expanded upon. For instance, the fabric’s composition might feature differently positioned fibers. Elastic fibers, for example, may be placed across the straight thread (the weft) instead of along the thread. This detail means the fabric will stretch only across the grain and not along it, which is incredibly useful for creating tight-fitting garments. For instance, a tight skirt made from this fabric can adapt to the body perfectly. But if sewn against the straight thread, it might not fit at all!
The weave of a fabric can vary in compactness, and fibers may be thicker or thinner. This detail is often referenced in common fabric names. Take batiste and moleskin, for example. Both can be made from cotton and have a linen weave, but batiste is light and soft because it has a more loosely woven, finer fiber structure. On the other hand, molelon is more compact and stiffer.
When it comes to grammage (weight per square meter), it's easy to assume that higher grammage means a thicker fabric. But that’s not always the case. Fabrics of the same composition can have their fibres woven in different ways—looser or tighter, for example—which can affect the fabric’s weight. In some cases, extra weight comes from the density of the fibres themselves rather than the weave. I’ll show you an example soon: Corduroy, with a weight of around 400g/m², is thinner than denim, which weighs 200g/m²!
The key takeaway here is that fabric properties aren’t always straightforward. The best way to learn is by observing, feeling, and handling the material yourself. It’s essential to touch, stretch, and interact with the fabric to truly understand its qualities.
Now, let’s focus on an important property of fabric: how flowing or stiff (form-holding) it is. This is something I want to highlight today. I’ve recently released my new pattern for the Loose Skirt, and I spent a long time thinking about how to describe the perfect fabric for it. After some consideration, I realized that the word "flowing" is the most fitting description. But what exactly does "flowing" mean in a concrete sense? How can we define this property in a more specific and measurable way?
1. What Do "Flowing" and "Rigid" Actually Mean?
Even from photos, we can easily distinguish a difference between "flowing/softly fitting" fabrics and "stiff/shape-holding" fabrics. A flowing fabric doesn't hold its shape but instead softly drapes down the body. This makes it perfect for draped dresses, pleated summer skirts, or blouses with neck bows. On the other hand, a stiff fabric maintains its structure—if you want it to stand out, it will hold that shape. This is ideal for skirts with pleats or structured jackets.
2. Grammage Doesn't Tell Us Everything About Stiffness
The relationship between grammage and stiffness isn’t linear. If I were to rank the materials from most flowing to stiffest, the results would look something like this:
I was surprised by the outcome myself! As you can see, fabrics like No. 1, which is quite stiff, don’t show as much drape because there's no weight to pull them down. Meanwhile, materials like Cordura (No. 9) stand out due to their stiffness.
For the Loose Skirt pattern, I described the ideal fabrics as being small to medium weight and fairly flowing. I used fabrics 4, 3, 6, and 8 to sew this skirt, so you can expect a range of materials, from translucent batiste to thin denim. Fabrics like 4, 2, and 3 will sit softly on the legs, creating a lot of pleats at the bottom. Fabrics like 7, 6, and 8, however, will create a more structured trapezoidal shape—standing out at the bottom and forming fewer pleats.
