Aug, 12 2021

GUIDES • 6 min read

Updated: Jul, 5 2022

15 Types of Fabric and What To

Use Each For
Learn more about the common and uncommon types of
fabric and how to use each one in this guide.

Table of Contents
What Is Fabric?
15 Different Types of Fabric and How to Use
Them

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Whether you’re a conscious shopper or you want to take your fashion design

skills to a new level, it’s smart to get familiar with different fabric types. Each is

best suited to different items: the fabric for sports apparel is different from

those used for high fashion, both in the way they look and for their other

qualities.

Want to learn more? Read on for a fabric definition, 15 different types of fabric

you need to know about, and what to use each for.

What Is Fabric?

There’s a huge range of fabric types.

First, what is fabric? The first question should actually be, what is cloth—

because Merriam-Webster’s fabric definition is “a material resembling cloth”!

The dictionary defines cloth as “a pliable material made usually by weaving,

felting, or knitting natural or synthetic fibers and filaments.”

Essentially, fabric is a material made of fibers that is used to make items such

as clothing, shoes, bags, and homewares like bedsheets, cushions, and towels.

It can be thick or thin, rough or smooth, heavy or lightweight; the qualities of

different types of fabric depend on what it’s made from.

Learn More About Sewing

Fabrics
The Beginner’s Guide to Fashion Fabrics: Wovens

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15 Different Types of Fabric and How to Use

Them

1. Cotton
A natural fabric made from fibers from the cotton plant, cotton is soft,

breathable, and washable. It’s a favorite for many items, including clothing

and household goods, and is also one of the best sewing materials for

beginners. Organic and recycled cotton are more sustainable, environmentally

friendly versions of this fabric.

2. Linen

Source:
Instagram
Linen is one of
the most
environmentally
sustainable
fabric types.

Linen is another natural fabric, made from the flax plant. It tends to be more

expensive than cotton, but it’s stronger and likely to last longer. It’s also more

environmentally sustainable to produce. Linen is often used to make summer

clothing and bedsheets.

3. Muslin

Source:
Instagram
Muslin is
often
used to
make
baby
blankets
and
cloths.

Muslin is a type of plain-weave cotton fabric. It’s soft and light, so it’s often

used to make baby blankets as well as summer clothing. It’s also sometimes

called cheesecloth as it’s used in some traditional cheesemaking.

4. Wool

Wool is a natural fabric made from animal hairs. Sheep’s wool is perhaps the

most well-known, but alpaca, yak, and goat wool are also common. Wool is

usually warm, strong, breathable, and moisture-wicking, though it can be a bit

itchy. You may have also heard of broadcloth. What is broadcloth? It’s a thick

velvet-like fabric made from wool.

5. Silk

One of the most luxurious high-fashion fabrics, silk is made from fibers

produced by the silkworm. It’s relatively expensive as a sewing material, so it’s

often used to make high-end dresses, skirts, and blouses. It’s smooth, shiny,

fine, and quite delicate.

6. Satin

Source:
Instagram
Satin is a
soft,
smooth
fabric
used to
make
some
sleepwear.

Satin is actually a fabric weave rather than a type of fabric itself; other natural

or artificial fibers are spun to produce a very glossy, smooth finish. Satin is

often used to make glamorous items like evening gowns, bridal wear, and

lingerie or sleepwear.

7. Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fabric that’s essentially a type of plastic. It’s commonly

used to make clothes and home furnishings as it’s strong and stain-resistant,

won’t shrink or stretch easily, and is easy to care for. It’s not very breathable

alone but is often mixed with cotton for clothing.

8. Rayon

Source:
Instagram
Rayon is
one of the
types of
fabric
material
often
used to
make
summer
clothes.
Rayon, a semi-synthetic fabric that’s made from fibers from wood pulp, was

invented as an affordable alternative to silk. Viscose and modal are types of

cloth related to rayon. They’re all soft and breathable and drape well, but

they’re not particularly durable.

9. Leather

Here’s one of the types of fabric material with a difference: Leather isn’t made

from fiber but from the hide of an animal (like cows, sheep, pigs, goats) that’s

treated with chemicals to soften and strengthen it. Shoes, bags, jackets,

purses, and other accessories are commonly made out of leather, as it’s strong

and waterproof. Suede is a type of leather made from the underside of the

animal hide, and it’s soft but not water-resistant. Vegan, or artificial, leather is

also available and is often made from PVC.

10. PVC

Source:
Instagram
PVC isn’t
usually
considered
among the
high-
fashion
fabrics.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a type of plastic that can be used to make clothing,

particularly shiny and waterproof clothing and costumes. Vegan leather is

often made from PVC.

11. Lace

A delicate, decorative fabric made by hand or machine, lace has a web-like

construct and includes designs such as flowers, butterflies, and abstract

patterns. Traditionally, handmade lace was used to trim sleeves, collars, and

handkerchiefs. Machine lace is often used for lingerie these days.

12. Bamboo

Made from the fibers of the bamboo plant, bamboo fabric is good for clothing

worn near the skin because it’s hypoallergenic, insulating, and soft. It’s also

absorbent and antibacterial, as well as one of the more environmentally

friendly fabrics.

13. Spandex

You may know of spandex as Lycra—that’s a brand name. Spandex is

incredibly stretchy, so it’s often used to make figure-hugging clothing like

sportswear and underwear (though the latter is often mixed with cotton).

14. Velvet

Velvet is a soft, thick, luxurious fabric made with tufted fibers. Jackets and

evening gowns are the most common types of clothing made from velvet; it’s

also used to make furniture, curtains, and cushions.

15. Hemp

Hemp is a natural fabric made from fibers of the hemp plant. It’s commonly

used for industrial purposes, like sacks, ropes, and sails, as it’s tough and

durable. It can also be made into clothing, usually when mixed with another

fabric like cotton, to make it softer and more comfortable.

Picked Your Fabric? Now

Make it into Clothes!
Make Your Own Clothing: Introduction to Garment
Construction

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 WRITTEN BY

Elen Turner

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