The relationship between fabric and shape is crucially important. So many factors can affect how the end garment looks and feels so it’s important to understand what is a good fabric match for the style you are trying to achieve.
Sometimes, you can’t have it all as certain elements of design and fabric just don’t suit each other. It can be a bit of a balancing act; if you’re committed to a particular garment shape, you may need to adjust your fabric choice to suit it. And on the flip side, if you’ve got your heart set on a particular fabric, you need to make sure the garment silhouette works with it.
If you didn’t see our blog post last year on how fabric choices make or break your clothes, which explored what factors affect the drape of a garment, it’s definitely worth a read. We love a fabric comparison here and we’re going to build on that today!
How to find your designs perfect match
In a design session, I like to think of selecting fabrics as like speed dating for your design! I pull out numerous fabric options and go through them assessing whether each fabric ticks all the boxes for this particular style and function. Any red flags and we swipe left!
Consider what it is that your style needs in a fabric. The keys points are comfort, function (can you move as you need to), and of course how it looks. Take the above example of slim fit joggers. In such a fitted style movement is a key accommodation, so it’s vital that the fabric is not too thick and stiff. Having a fabric with stretch in here will allow for comfort when bending and moving, and the fabric should not be too heavy as it will feel too restrictive in such a slim style.
It's a common misconception (and I am going to shout!); HEAVIER FABRIC DOES NOT MEAN BETTER QUALITY. The quality of a fabric has nothing to do with its grams per square metre (GSM). Material that is too heavy for your style will ruin the fit of your design.
There is not necessarily only one perfect fabric option for your garment, but different fabric types will give you different looks and outcomes – we’re going to dive into this more below!
It’s a match! The above tees from two of our fantastic brands Aimer Créer (left), and Mana99 (right) are a great example of using fabric that’s suited to each style. The oversized fit on the left is perfect for 100% cotton jersey, and can take more weighty fabric because of its loose cut.
The style on the right in contrast would not work well with 100% cotton. It’s a much more fitted style, especially around the shoulders and arms, and so needs some stretch in the fabric composition to allow movement of the wearer and the capability to get it on and off comfortably! This tee is in a 92.2% cotton, 7.8% spandex jersey fabric and works perfectly for the type of fit the customer wanted to achieve.
What happens when a non-stretch fabric is used on a slimmer fitting style? See below! Even if you can get the garment on, stretching a non-stretch fabric puts pressure on the seams and can cause rips. Never mind the fact that it won’t be comfortable! Elastane fibres stretch with you and allow for much more movement.
Same fit, different fabric
Now let’s look at what happens when you use different fabrics for the same style – I always find this so interesting! The below joggers were sampled in two different fabrics but the fit and size is exactly the same. The first sample on the left used a stretch French terry; 95% cotton, 5% spandex, 320gsm. The second sample on the right used a 100% cotton French terry, 460gsm. The two main differences here are the addition or absence of spandex (aka elastane – the stretchy fibre), and the weight of the fabric.
Now take a look at how this affects the visual outcome. There is much more drape on sample 1, it falls softer and you can tell there is good movement in the fabric. On sample 2, the fabric sits in much firmer folds and has more defined ‘stack’ above the ankle. It gives a more structured, bulkier look to the garment.
So which is better? There’s no disasters here, either fabric would be fine, the decision might be made on what feels more comfortable and suitable for the intended use. Sample 1 would be better suited to working out as the stretch fabric and lighter weight affords you more ease of movement and comfort when bending etc. Sample 2 in the heavier, non-stretch fabric feels thicker, warmer and firmer – it doesn’t move as freely as the other fabric. The silhouette it creates is more defined – this might be a popular choice for streetwear.
Drape for your shape
In the below example, again we sampled the same base shape and size, in two different fabrics. At the top we have a 100% cotton, 420gsm French terry. Below this we have a 95% cotton, 5% spandex, 260gsm French terry.
This shape is super boxy and wide in the body. Because it’s an oversized style, generally a heavier fabric wouldn’t be an issue, but here the shape is so boxy that in a heavier, non-stretch fabric it actually ends up with the fabric falling in stiff folds simply because it doesn’t have the capability to drape around the body so it’s got nowhere else to go. In comparison the lighter blend drapes much more softly around the body and doesn’t stick out as much.
In Conclusion
It's important to understand that different factors within fabric choice can make your garment look and feel completely different!
Making sure that your fabric is suitable for your garment silhouette, and vice versa, is key to getting a wearable, comfortable product that looks as you intended.
Visualising how a fabric will look in 3D, on a body, is difficult we know! And there's often not just one perfect fabric match for your garment silhouette. It can be really beneficial to sample in two different fabrics, like the examples discussed earlier on, to get an idea of what it is you want from your garment and which fabric you prefer.
Keep an open mind when it comes to fabric - often what you think you want is not actually what you need! It's definitely worth doing some market research on fabrics, and following it up with advice from an experienced designer or manufacturer who can direct you to suitable options for the outcome you desire - after all, they will have seen first-hand how different fabrics act.
We work with each client with an individual approach to achieve the right look for their garment, sometimes it means telling someone they can't use the fabric they think they need because we know it won't achieve the look they're after.
Discussing the different aspects of fabrics and how they affect your design is just one part of our tech pack and design sessions, one-to-one with an experienced designer. Visit our tech pack & design page for more info.
Love, Bethany H&E xx
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