Fabric Guides

Choose The Right Fabric To Make Clothes

When choosing a fabric to make clothes one must first take factors like The Material, The Weight, grainline as well as the Thread & yarn count of the fabric, Into Consideration. Using The Appropriate Textile Improves Not Only The Aesthetics But Also The Practicality Of Your Design. Handlooms in India and textiles are a great option & you can find a lot of options for your purpose. Let Us Get Into It In A Little More Detail to explain How to choose fabric for clothing:

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FABRIC BASED ON MATERIAL

Each material has its own specific characteristics in terms of breathability, stretchability, crease-resistance, climate adaptability etc. Depending on the occasion or function of a project as well as the kind of climate when it will be used, one can choose the optimum fabric for stitching.

Ethical and natural fabric material like handloom cotton fabric and Handloom Linen fabric is great for summers. Cotton material is a stable and one of the easiest fabrics to stitch Handloom Khadi fabric is a great example of sustainable fabrics in India. Being handwoven and handspun, they are more breathable, comfortable and aesthetically appealing. It keeps warm in winters and cool in summers. The handwoven cotton fabric is also the simplest to work with so are preferred as Shirting fabric, Kurti fabric, or fabric for Summer dresses. Mulberry silk, being fine and breathable can be used for a warmer climate.

On the other hand, wild silk is more suited for cooler weather. However, both types of Silk along with sustainable silk fabric like Matka and Ketya are appropriate as special occasion or premium garments. Blended fabrics like khadi cotton, khadi cotton silk fabric or any cotton blend fabric for dresses and clothing offer the best of both.

GRAIN OR GRAINLINE OF THE FABRIC

Grain refers to the direction of the yarns woven together to form the fabric. The warp yarns are the lengthwise grain while warp yarns represent the crosswise grain of the fabric. The patterns pieces cut are aligned parallel to lengthwise grain as that give the garment the maximum stability. It is crucial to ensure the grainline of the fabric is straight & perfect while choosing fabric for stitching. An improper grainline will not cut or sew well resulting in an overall poorly constructed garment.

DRAPE OF THE FABRIC:

The drape of the fabric refers to its "flow" or "fall". A fabric may be stiff and therefore better suited for fitted structured garments while fabrics that drape well are appropriate for flowy dresses and skirts. Understanding the drape of the fabric and keeping that in mind while choosing your fabric will help achieve the desired silhouette.

WEIGHT OF THE FABRIC

The weight of a fabric is measured in GSM (grams per square meter) and it defines how heavy or light fabric is. The higher the gsm for fabric, the higher is the weight for a fixed amount of the fabric. Measuring the fabric weight is a way of measuring the thickness of the material, and differentiating between light-weight, medium-weight, or heavy-weight fabric. It is very important to consider the right weight of fabric once the material has been decided.

Lightweight Woven Fabrics

These fabrics are light. They tend to be good for year-round wear, and may wrinkle a bit. These fabrics drape well and are great for business wear. Light cotton with a close weave is a great place to begin, as it’s usually easy to sew and often has a light fall.

Medium Weight Fabrics

This category includes year-round fabrics, including many more casual weaves. They tend to hold up against wrinkling fairly well on their own. They do not have any issue with opacity in these fabrics, although whites will still show through somewhat.

Heavyweight Fabrics

These are some of the heaviest fabrics and tend to fall on the more casual side. They tend to hold in heat well and are very durable. Heavy handloom cotton fabric or heavy handloom khadi fabric is perfect for items that you want to have more shape, but it’s still really easy to sew. When choosing your heavy cotton, know that it is usually quite stiff and make sure this has been accounted for in the project you choose.

• Pants: Linen (for warmer weather) (160-300gsm), find here.

• Shirts and blouses: Cotton, silk, chambray, sustainable cotton fabric, linen (120-180gsm), find here.

• Skirts: Cotton and linen (100-150gsm), find here.

• Dresses/Kurti: Cotton, silk, or blended silk cotton fabric and linen. (80-160), find here.

• Upholstery: Cotton, Linen, Silk, and Canvas. (250-650gsm), find here.

Team Anuprerna

At Anuprerna, We request everyone to contribute and share. This way we can create global recognition for these beautiful handwoven crafts & textiles to bestow value onto the ordinary lives of our artisans with extraordinary skills. And we believe that's the only way we can build a sustainable and ethical world for ourselves.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE