📖 Chapter 1 — Understanding Textiles: Article 3 — How to Recognize a Quality Fabric
- Souad Belaini
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
When buying fabric, we are often first attracted by its color, pattern or appearance.
However, two fabrics that look almost identical at first glance can behave very differently once they are cut, sewn, worn or washed.
After more than 30 years of sewing and creating made-to-measure garments, I have learned that a beautiful fabric cannot be judged only by its price or composition.
You need to look at it, touch it, observe its drape and sometimes take a few seconds to handle it.
Here are a few simple clues that can help you recognize a quality fabric.
👀 1. Start by looking at the fabric
Before even touching it, take a close look at it.
Is the surface even?
Does the weave or knit look consistent?
Can you see pulled threads, small defects or areas that appear thinner than others?
For printed fabrics, also look at the sharpness of the pattern and the consistency of the colors.
However, keep in mind that some irregularities are perfectly normal.
Linen, for example, may have small variations that are part of its natural appearance.
You should not automatically look for a perfectly smooth fabric: the important thing is to learn how to distinguish a natural characteristic of the material from a genuine defect.
✋ 2. Touch the fabric
Touch can tell us a great deal.
Take the fabric in your hands. Gently crumple it. Let it slide between your fingers.
Does it feel pleasant?
Does it seem soft or stiff?
Does it return to its original shape after being handled?
Does it have a certain density, or does it seem very fragile?
A quality fabric should above all be suitable for its intended use.
A chiffon will naturally be very light, while a duchess satin intended for a structured dress will be much denser.
Lightness is therefore not a defect, just as thickness is not automatically a sign of quality.
👗 3. Look at its drape
In dressmaking, the drape of a fabric is extremely important.
Take part of the fabric and let it fall naturally.
Does it fall fluidly?
Does it remain fairly structured?
Does it create beautiful folds?
There is no single “good” drape that works for every garment.
For a flowing dress, I would look for a fabric that naturally follows the movement of the body.
For a structured wedding dress or jacket, on the other hand, I may look for a fabric with more body.
The quality of a fabric can therefore also be judged by its ability to create the desired effect for the garment.
🤲 4. Try the wrinkle test
Take a small section of the fabric in your hand and squeeze it for a few seconds, then release it.
Look at what happens.
Does the fabric remain heavily creased?
Do the wrinkles disappear quickly?
Does it naturally return to its original appearance?
This simple test helps you understand how the fabric may behave when worn.
But remember: a fabric that wrinkles easily is not necessarily poor quality.
Linen, for example, naturally wrinkles. This is a characteristic of the fiber, not a quality defect.
The wrinkle test is mainly useful for determining whether the fabric’s behavior suits what you are looking for and the level of care you are prepared to give it.
🔎 5. Look at the fabric against the light
Whenever possible, hold the fabric up to a light source.
This can help you see its density and the consistency of its construction.
You may sometimes notice:
unusually thin areas;
irregular threads;
small defects;
transparency that was not noticeable when the fabric was lying flat.
Again, transparency does not necessarily mean poor quality: organza, tulle and chiffon are specifically designed to be transparent or semi-transparent.
Everything depends on the type of fabric you have in your hands.
↔️ 6. Gently handle the fabric
Without pulling too hard, apply a little tension to the fabric and then release it.
Observe how it reacts.
Some fabrics immediately return to their original shape. Others may deform more easily.
For a fabric containing elastane, also check that it properly returns to its original shape after being stretched.
This is particularly important for fitted garments.
💃 7. Look at the fabric in motion
This is something I find particularly important, especially when choosing fabric for a dress.
Unfold part of the fabric and gently move it.
Watch how it reacts.
Is it fluid?
Does it naturally follow the movement?
Does it create volume?
Or does it remain very structured?
For a wedding dress or evening gown, just a few seconds can sometimes be enough to imagine how the fabric will look once it is worn.
Fabric should not be chosen only while lying flat on a table.
When I watch it move, I am already beginning to imagine the garment it could become.
🧵 8. Look at the edges and threads
When buying fabric by the meter, also look at the selvedges and, if possible, at how the threads behave along a cut edge.
A fabric that frays is not necessarily poor quality: some materials naturally fray much more than others.
However, these observations can help you understand how the fabric will behave during cutting and sewing.
This is something you learn a great deal about through experience.
💶 Is an expensive fabric necessarily better quality?
No.
The price can depend on many factors: the fiber used, where it was made, the weaving technique, the finishing process, the rarity of the material, embroidery, lace, the brand or even the quantities produced.
An expensive fabric can be beautiful, but price alone can never determine its quality or whether it is suitable for your project.
Likewise, “100% natural” does not automatically mean “better quality.”
A beautiful fiber blend can be perfectly suited to a garment, while a poorly manufactured 100% cotton fabric may be disappointing.
📌 Key points to remember
✓ Price alone does not determine the quality of a fabric
.✓ Look at its surface, construction and any possible defects.
✓ Touch and handle the material.
✓ Look at its drape and how it behaves in motion.
✓ Try the wrinkle test.
✓ Hold it up to the light.
✓ Above all, choose a fabric that is suitable for the garment you want to make.
A quality fabric is not simply a beautiful fabric: it is also a fabric that is suitable for its intended use.
✂️ Maraval Couture’s advice
When I choose fabric for a creation, I never look at just one criterion.
I look at it, I touch it, I let it fall and I already think about the garment it is going to become.
A fabric can be beautiful and of excellent quality, yet be completely unsuitable for the design you want to create.
This is why choosing fabric should never be done with your eyes alone.
With experience, your hands also learn to recognize materials.
💬 A question I am often asked
How can you tell whether a fabric is good quality when buying online?
It is obviously more difficult because you cannot touch it or observe its drape directly.
Look carefully at the composition, close-up photographs, weight or fabric weight (GSM) when provided, fabric width and the information supplied by the seller.
For an important project, such as a wedding dress or a made-to-measure outfit, ordering a sample before buying several meters of fabric is often a very good precaution.
A photograph can show the color and appearance of a fabric. It can never completely replace what your hands can teach you.
📖 Read next
➡️ Chapter 1 — Article 4: Common Misconceptions About Fabrics
🧵 Contact — Maraval Couture
📍 Maraval Couture —
8 rue Michel Rondet,
42000 Saint-Étienne, France
For any questions about fabrics, sewing projects, made-to-measure creations or sewing classes, feel free to contact Maraval Couture.
Comments