I’ll be the first to admit it – I’m a fabric lover. Fabric snob? Maybe. But that has a nasty ring to it, so let’s just say that I’m an afficionado.
I also recognize that not everyone has the same appreciation for fabrics, or even gives a hoot about the difference between satin and crepe de chine. That’s cool! It’s my job as a bridal consultant to know this stuff, not yours. So I thought I’d share a little material knowledge and get you on the path to identifying your favorites.
Let’s start with the most basic concept when it comes to fabrication (and this is something almost no one knows, so don’t feel bad if this is a revelation for you). A fabric is first made of a textile or fiber – there are natural fibers like silk, cotton, and wool, or synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon, and acetate. (If you want to get really tricky, there are also fibers like rayon, which is considered semi-synthetic since it is made of naturally occurring cellulose. My brain hurts thinking about that, so let’s not dwell). That fiber, whether natural or synthetic, is then used to construct a particular weave, such as satin, organza, or chiffon. So if someone says that something is 100% satin, that doesn’t really make sense as satin can be made of silk, polyester, or a mix of these and other fibers.
So if you really want to accurately identify a fabric, you need to know both the fiber and the weave. You can have silk satin or poly satin, or you can have a satin that is a blend of silk, nylon, and polyester. This is where the labels in clothing come in handy if you really want to know the content of your fabric – manufacturers are required by the FTC to give the breakdown of different fibers in the fabric and include care instructions.
Okay, so with that out of the way, let’s discuss some of the different fabrics most popularly used in the bridal industry these days. We’ll begin with what is probably the most classic and traditional fabric, satin.
Satin is a very smooth, sometimes shiny weave that can be made of a variety of fibers, most typically silk, polyester, or a blend of the two. It is relatively heavy and is a good base for heavily embellished gowns since it can support embroidery or beadwork with tearing or sagging. Here are a few gowns made of satin:
Some designers will refer to satin with different qualifiers such as duchess or matte. These adjectives typically do not refer to the fiber content but more to the finish of the fabric. A duchess satin might be particularly smooth and sumptuous, while a matte satin would have a less shiny appearance.
Next up is taffeta, another classic bridal fabrication. Taffeta is usually very lightweight, making it an excellent choice for outdoor weddings or brides who tend to overheat easily. A popular variation these days is referred to as tissue taffeta, meaning that the fabric is thin and light – this tends to work very well in gowns with lots of rusching, since a thicker fabric might be bulky. Taffeta often makes a rustling sound when you move – a characteristic that many people love, but some find annoying. A close relative of taffeta is peau de soie (pronounced poe-deh-swah).
If you love a more sheer fabric, then organza or chiffon might be for you. Organza is currently very popular in textured skirts such as the ones used in the newest Lazaro and Vera Wang collections. Raw edged strips can be made to resemble feathers, or swirling rows of fabric create volume and dramatic texture. Since organza can vary greatly in its weight and opacity, some gowns even use different grades of organza that add great depth.
Besides the depth and texture created when organza is used, it is typically a very lightweight fabric. The gowns shown above would be much heavier if the same amount of a different fabric (such as satin) were used to create the volume in the skirts. Of course, organza can be used to beautiful effect in clean, untextured sheets, like the gowns shown below. The sheer overlay of these skirts lend a softness and ethereal quality.
A close cousin of organza is chiffon. Alike in that they are both sheer, but different in the way they drape, chiffon is a classic fabrication for beach weddings. While organza is crisp and has a stiffer hand, chiffon has a beautiful drape and flow. In my opinion, chiffon is one of the most easily “faked” fabrics – even professionals are sometimes hard-pressed to know whether a chiffon is silk or synthetic.
If you love the drape of chiffon but want something with a bit more sheen, charmeuse might be for you. Most people are familiar with charmeuse because of its use in lingerie and evening wear – it’s thin, shiny, and has a beautiful drape.
Rounding out the most commonly used bridal fabrics is raw silk, usually referred to as either dupioni (doo-pee-oh-knee) or shantung (just like it looks). Raw silks are lightweight and characterized by their unusual texture, known as slubbing. The slubs in raw silks can be very pronounced (usually dupioni), or barely noticeable (usually shantung). There are also synthetic versions of these fabrics, which are woven to replicate the nubby texture of the silks.
Making a comeback in a big way is tulle, or English net. Net used on the outside of a gown is the same idea as the stiff crinolines underneath, but is generally softer and has a finer gauge.
Tulle or net is most often made of a synthetic such as nylon. Silk tulle most certainly exists, but it is generally very expensive and almost too delicate. Any net can snag easily, but silk net is incredibly fragile. Add to that the fact that most gowns utilizing net use lots and lots of it, and the price can get prohibitive quite quickly.
Although I can’t say this with any authority, I would be willing to bet that Kate Middleton’s veil was fabricated of a silk tulle. The way that the fabric draped and clung to her head was a clue to me that the net was softer, finer, and (unsurprisingly!) quite expensive.
Here are a few other fabrics you might run into at your next visit to the bridal boutique:
Crepe, or crepe de chine:
A smooth, midweight fabric, crepe de chine (pronounced crape-deh-sheen) can often have a very subtle wavy texture. In silk crepe, this is the result of a unique twisting of the yarns used to create the weave. Crepe is often cut on the bias when used in gowns – this means that the fabric is turned diagonally, producing a lovely clinging drape. Bias cut gowns are not the most forgiving in the world, but their elegance is unmistakable.
Georgette:
Very much like chiffon but a bit heavier, georgette is slightly sheer and very drapey.
Mikado and Faille:
Both mikado (pronounced mih-KAH-doh) and faille (pronounced like “file”) are midweight to heavier fabrics. They each can be made of natural or synthetic fabrics, and have a subtle ribbed texture (like baby wale corduroy without the fuzz).
These are just the most common fabrics you’ll see in bridal boutiques these days. Of course there are other materials used to ornament gowns, such as lace and ribbon. That would be an entirely different post, so I’ll save that for another time!
