When it comes to designing fashion or even just making your own clothes, the fabric you choose can be the difference between a garment that looks amazing and a garment that looks like something you bought at the mall or from a high street store.
A lot of times, people end up disappointed in their projects; not because the fit is wrong, or the pattern style doesn’t suit them, but because their fabric choice wasn’t really suitable.
This comes down to not really understanding the different types of fabrics, the fibers they’re made with, the construction of the fabric type or even how the print design or fabric color can have an impact on a design.
So today I want to cover all of the above in a helpful way so that you can feel more confident at choosing the right fabric for your next project, whether that’s a garment you plan to sew for yourself or a collection you want to design.
While you’re here, I should also share with you that Creative Fashion Skills – my new membership! – will be a great place to learn more about fabrics for your projects, so do check that out if it’s something you struggle with.
It goes without saying that a key consideration when choosing fabric for clothing is the fabric type. I already have an extensive article on the different types of fabrics, so I’ll summarize here. Fabrics are broken down into:
But can also be classified based on their fiber content:
You can learn more about the differences between natural and synthetic fibers too.
When it comes to making clothes from fabrics, if you work with commercial sewing patterns then you will receive suggestions on which fabrics to work with in the pattern booklet. When making your own patterns however, it’s all on you to make the decision.
To help you choose the right fabric, we’re going to look at the other key considerations that should be top of mind for you when choosing fabric types for clothing projects!
The type of clothing you plan to make is probably the most important consideration when choosing a suitable type of fabric!
Some clothing types are suitable for only knitted fabrics:
While other garment types look their absolute best in woven fabrics:
That’s not to say that you must follow the ‘fabric rules’, but it is essential that before breaking the rules, you at least understand them.
There are many designers who have had great success by going against what is perceived as the ‘correct’ fabric choice, and I am one of them that prefers to do my own thing rather than follow convention.
For one collection I used organza and silk ribbons intended for home decor, and constructed my own unique fabric with them, which I then used to create shorts.
Is this viable for all? Of course not. But if you plan to just make one garment for yourself using this constructed textiles approach, or even on a small scale for custom made pieces, then it is a great way to create a piece of clothing that is certainly more unique than what you would find at your standard fashion store.
Another consideration is the season. While we all love the sheer and lightweight nature of a beautiful silk chiffon or cotton lawn, neither would be suitable for winter months when the temperatures drop. In colder months we’ll need thicker fabrics that provide some insulation properties from the chill.
That isn’t to say that clothing cannot be transeasonal, it absolutely can be depending on where in the world you’re located.
I’m currently working on a patchwork leather circle skirt ready for the winter months, but I’m also expecting it to be suitable for the cooler months of fall and spring too.
Going into a project knowing when you’ll be wanting to wear it is essential.
Now we get into the nitty gritty decisions. If you plan on making a garment with French seams so that there is a clean interior to your garment, then you need a fabric which is light enough in weight to allow this.
French – or even felled! – seams are near impossible on thick wool and felled seams are just about manageable using a home sewing machine with denim weight fabrics.
At the same time sewing plain open seams on leather garments leaves the seam line as a potential weak point, and a lapped seam might be better instead.
Understanding how seams are constructed and which seam finish you’d prefer to use will help you to decide on the right fabric for your project.
The way you want to finish your hems are also important to consider when choosing fabric for your garment sewing.
I created a beautiful laminated lace trench coat – essentially plastic – which I wove strips of leather through. You can see in the above left photo that there was no way to turn a hem allowance under and top stitch or press in place due to the bulkiness of the ‘fabric’ I had created. Instead I left the edges raw.
Contrast this with the parka coat (above on the right) that I made in a similar way, and I took the decision to finish the raw edges with banding. These bands were created in denim and applied to the coat hem, sleeve hem, front opening and the outside hood, which finished the neckline edge.
You can see from both examples that the fabric – or material in the case of the trench – chosen impacted on how I could finish the edges and hems, and this is something you should consider at the outset, not when you’re towards the end of the construction process.
You’ll also need to take into account the way you wish to fasten your garment when choosing fabric. This is again why sewing patterns come with clothes fastener suggestions – it’s all been considered and tested for you in the pattern development process.
Heavy metal buttons won’t work well on lightweight or sheer fabric types and small plastic buttons would be lost on an oversized trench coat.
If you want to use an invisible zipper because you don’t like how zipper teeth look, well there are some fabrics that will work perfectly and others that will be incredibly difficult to sew a concealed zipper into.
Which leads nicely onto your skill level!
Your sewing skills level is the final consideration when it comes to choosing fabric for clothing. If you’re new to sewing, deciding to sew a leather biker jacket with chunky exposed metal zippers and a silk lining is probably not your best idea:
At the same time, someone who considers themselves an advanced sewer will possibly thrive on the challenge or may even feel a little bored if it’s too ‘easy’ for them.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t give a project a go in a trickier fabric that you love – it’s just that you need to understand your skill level and the fabric type to get the best result possible.
I hope that this guide of sorts will help you in choosing the right fabric for your next garment sewing project. If you need additional help or inspiration, do check out my membership Creative Fashion Skills. Its for anyone who is not a sewing beginner and wants to start being more creative with their garment sewing. I’d love to see you in there if it’s right for you!
Eve Tokens (aka The Creative Curator) is a fashion designer, creative pattern cutter and sewing pattern designer.
Eve graduated with a 2:1 in Fashion Design from the University of The Creative Arts in the UK, has a BTEC diploma in Creative Pattern Cutting, a Foundation Degree in Art & Design from Wimbledon College of Art and gained extensive experience in the fashion industry by interning and freelancing for London based fashion brands – Hardy Amies, Roland Mouret, Peter Pilotto and others.
As well as running her own small sustainable fashion brand, Eve has more than 25 years experience sewing and making clothes for herself and family members.
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