Here is a list of the main types of fabrics and their quailities.When choosing your fabric for your wedding dress you need to keep the followinng in mind: the shilouette and style of your wedding dress, climate and your budget.
Soft and fine-textured
transparent weave |
Cotton blended with
poly or silk
|
Light
|
Warm
|
Loosely fitted
|
A rich jacquard weave with
raised designs-mostly in
contrasting colours or
metallic threads |
Silk, or silk blends |
Heavy |
Seasonless, but often
choosen for fall and winter |
Very formal structured and tailored fits |
Smooth and soft weave:
similar to satin, but lighter
|
Silk or manmade fibres
|
Light
|
All season
|
Beautiful drape, but shiluettes requires drape
and fluidity
|
Delicate in fabric,but sheer
in fluid and with a matte finish |
Mostly nylon, poly,silk |
Very light |
All season |
Often used for layers, sleeves, veils |
Crinkled or grained in texture
|
Rayon, silk, or blends
|
Light
|
All season
|
Informal flowing gowns or slim shaped dresses
|
Jacquard fabric with floral or
geometric designs woven in |
Cotton, linenRayon, silk, wool, or
manmade blends |
Heavier look, but
fabric ligter in weight |
Not best in summer |
Great for structured and tailored gowns |
Smoot, rich and glossy weave
with a matte back
|
Silk or silk/rayon blend
|
Medium
|
All season
|
Suitable for formal looks or simple designs
or with embellishements like beads and jewels
|
Coarser fibers with a bit of sheen |
Silk |
Light to medium |
All season, but best from
spring to autumn |
Good for a light feel, but with a crisp touch |
Smooth; medium to high sheen
|
Silk
|
Medium
|
All season
|
Great for plain and embellished styles
|
Diagonal weave; hard wearing |
Cotton, silk, wool, manmade fiberes
or blends |
Medium |
All season |
Provides good support for beading, good for
tailored styles |
Airy, crisp, smooth with a criss-
cross weave
|
Silk, or silk blends
|
Light
|
Hot weather
|
Trains, skirts, overlays
|
Soft, elastic, stretchy fabric |
Rayon, silk or wool |
Medium |
All Season |
Bias cut |
Twill weave; fine fibres
|
Silk or silk blends
|
Medium
|
All Season
|
Architectural cuts, sweeping skirts
|
Wavy designs |
Cotton, rayon or silk |
|
|
|
Sheer-woven like chiffon,but
crisper and stiffer
|
Nylon, poly, rayon or silk
|
Light
|
All season, but very good
for warm climates
|
Layering, overlays, full skirts, trains, veils
Silk organzais often embroidered.
|
Smooth weave with a high sheen |
Poly, silk, or manmade fibres |
Medium to heavy |
All season |
Any shape or style |
Combination of thick and thin
yarns
|
Cotton, rayon, or silk
|
Medium to heavy
|
All season
|
Adds texture to the dress
|
Crisp and stiff weave, sometimes
a slight sheen finish |
Silk or poly |
Light |
All season |
Full skirts, structured ball gowns |
Fine-mesh netting, machine made
|
Cotton, silk, or nylon
|
Very light
|
All season
|
Skirts, veils- good in combinations with other
fabrics
|
Plush and thick weave with plain
underside |
Cotton, poly, rayon, silk, or manmade
fibres |
Heavy |
Autumn, Winter |
Good for softly structured shilouettes |
