📖 Chapter 1 — Understanding Textiles: Article 4 — Common Misconceptions About Fabrics
- Souad Belaini
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
In the world of textiles, certain statements come up again and again:
“Natural is always better.”
“Polyester is always poor quality.”
“The more expensive a fabric is, the better it is.”
“A thick fabric is always stronger.”
“100% cotton is always better.”
Over time, these statements can start to sound like facts… when in reality, textiles are far more nuanced.
After more than 30 years of sewing and creating made-to-measure garments, I have worked with a huge variety of materials. I have come across beautiful natural fibres, excellent blends, very high-quality synthetic fabrics… and also disappointing fabrics in every one of these categories.
So, let’s separate fact from fiction.
🌿 Misconception No. 1 — “A natural fibre is always better”
False.
Cotton, linen, wool and silk all have wonderful qualities, but simply being a natural fibre does not guarantee the quality of a fabric.
Two fabrics made from 100% cotton, for example, can be completely different.
Quality also depends on many other factors: the fibre itself, the way the yarn is produced, the construction and density of the fabric, its finishing and its intended use.
A natural fibre can therefore produce an exceptional fabric… or a much more ordinary one.
Fibre composition is important information, but it does not tell the whole story of a fabric.
🧪 Misconception No. 2 — “Synthetic fibres are always poor quality”
Also false.
Polyester, polyamide and other synthetic fibres often have a bad reputation.
However, depending on their quality and how they are used, they can provide valuable properties such as strength, stability, elasticity, lightness, quick drying and easy care.
They can also be blended with other fibres to change the way a fabric behaves.
Of course, this does not mean that every synthetic fabric is excellent.
But saying “synthetic = poor quality” is far too simplistic.
As with natural fibres, everything depends on how the textile is made and, above all, what it is intended to be used for.
💶 Misconception No. 3 — “The more expensive a fabric is, the better its quality”
Not necessarily.
The price of a fabric depends on many factors.
It can be influenced by:
the raw material;
where it is manufactured;
the weaving or knitting technique;
the finishing process;
embroidery or other specialised work;
the rarity of a fibre;
the brand;
the quantities produced.
An intricate lace or a high-quality silk can naturally be expensive because of the materials and work required to produce it.
But price alone can never tell you whether a fabric is right for your project.
A less expensive fabric that is perfectly suited to a design can sometimes produce a much better result than a very costly material that has been poorly chosen.
⚖️ Misconception No. 4 — “The heavier a fabric is, the better its quality”
False.
This is where fabric weight becomes useful to understand.
Fabric weight refers to the weight of a textile in relation to its surface area and is generally expressed in grams per square metre (g/m²).
A lightweight fabric will generally have a lower fabric weight than a heavier material.
But be careful: fabric weight is not a quality rating.
A fine, lightweight chiffon can be of exceptional quality, while a much heavier fabric may be mediocre.
Fabric weight mainly tells us about certain characteristics of a textile and helps us determine whether it is suitable for the garment we want to create.
🧵 Misconception No. 5 — “A very dense fabric is always better”
Not necessarily.
In simple terms, density refers to how closely the yarns or loops are arranged within the construction of a fabric.
It can influence its appearance, structure, strength and transparency.
But once again, denser does not automatically mean better.
Some fabrics are intentionally airy, delicate or very fine.
Chiffon, tulle and certain lightweight fabrics obviously do not have the same construction as a textile designed for a jacket or a coat.
We must always compare like with like.
👗 Misconception No. 6 — “A thick fabric is always stronger”
Not always.
Thickness and strength are two different things.
A thick fabric may be strong, but its durability also depends on the fibre, the yarn, its construction and how it will be used.
Conversely, some relatively fine fabrics can be surprisingly strong.
This is why choosing a textile based solely on its thickness can be misleading.
🤲 Misconception No. 7 — “A fabric that creases easily is poor quality”
False.
As we discussed in the previous article, some fibres naturally crease more easily than others.
Linen is an excellent example.
Its creases are actually part of its characteristic appearance.
A fabric that creases easily is therefore not necessarily poor quality. It simply has certain properties that need to be considered when choosing a garment and caring for it.
A natural characteristic of a material should not be confused with a defect.
🌱 Misconception No. 8 — “100% cotton always means excellent quality”
No.
This is probably one of the labels people find most reassuring when reading a textile label.
Yet two fabrics carrying exactly the same “100% cotton” label can differ greatly in quality, feel, thickness, strength and price.
Why?
Because fibre composition tells us what a fabric is made from, but it does not tell us everything about the quality of the fibre, how the yarn was produced, how the fabric was constructed or how it was finished.
A textile should therefore never be judged solely by the percentage written on its label.
✨ Misconception No. 9 — “A beautiful fabric will always make a beautiful garment”
This one is particularly important in dressmaking.
Not necessarily.
A fabric may look magnificent on the roll and yet be completely unsuitable for the design you want to create.
A very fluid fabric will not produce the same result as a structured textile.
A fabric that is perfect for a summer dress will not necessarily work for a jacket.
And sometimes, a spectacular fabric can overwhelm the design rather than enhance it.
This is where choosing a fabric truly becomes part of the work of a dressmaker or designer.
You need to choose a material not only for what it is, but also for what you want it to become.
📌 Key points to remember
✓ Natural does not automatically mean better quality.
✓ Synthetic does not automatically mean poor quality.
✓ Price alone cannot determine the quality of a fabric.
✓ Fabric weight indicates weight, not quality.
✓ Thicker or denser does not always mean stronger.
✓ A fabric that creases easily is not necessarily poor quality.
✓ 100% cotton alone does not guarantee quality.
✓ The best fabric is, above all, the one that is right for the project you want to create.
✂️ Maraval Couture’s advice
After more than 30 years of sewing, I have learned to be cautious of overly simple rules when it comes to textiles.
I never choose a material simply because it is natural, expensive or thick, or because its label says 100% cotton.
I look at what I want to create.
A flowing dress, a structured wedding gown, a jacket, a summer garment or a suit will all have different requirements.
Quality matters enormously, of course. But in dressmaking, a beautiful material is above all a material that has been carefully chosen for the creation it is going to become.
💬 A question I am often asked
So, is it better to choose natural or synthetic fibres?
There is no single answer that works for every garment.
It all depends on the result you are looking for: comfort, fluidity, warmth, durability, ease of care, elasticity, structure or the appearance of the fabric.
There are also many fibre blends that combine different properties.
That is why it is much more useful to understand what each material can offer rather than deciding that one family of fibres is always better than another.
And that is exactly what we are going to explore in the next chapter.
📖 Read next
➡️ Chapter 2 — Comparing Materials: How to Choose the Right Fabric
We will compare cotton and viscose, linen and cotton, silk and satin, organza and chiffon, soft and stiff tulle, before exploring the different types of lace.
🧵 Contact — Maraval Couture
📍 Maraval Couture
8 rue Michel Rondet
42000 Saint-ÉtienneFrance
📞 07 53 36 27 79
For any questions about fabrics, sewing projects, made-to-measure creations or sewing classes, please feel free to contact Maraval Couture.
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