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How to Choose a Fabric
This blog will help you in choosing the fabric and understanding how to differentiate between fabric varieties.
Understanding Fabric Weight in Order to Choose the Right Fabric
Fabric weight is the outcome of how a fabric has been woven, its finish and sometimes the fibre type. Looking at the weight can help you to decide if it will be the most suitable fabric for its end use.
How fabric weight affects application
FABRIC THICKNESS
The heavier the weight, generally the thicker the fabric will be, although bear in mind that the weight does not tell you how thick the fabric is. Fabrics with different fibres or weaves but with the same weight may not have the exact same thickness.
FABRIC QUALITY
The weight of a material does not always determine its quality. Different fabric weaves and yarns will be different weights which is essential for its end use. For example, denim is heavyweight because of its twill weave and cotton fibre which is useful for hardwearing jeans, whereas chiffon is very lightweight as it is a loosely woven, plain weave making it ideal for floaty dresses.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT FABRIC
The weight of a fabric is particularly important when having to choose between two similar fabrics which are of different weights. If the fabric of one cotton t-shirt has a higher GSM than the fabric of another cotton t-shirt, then it is likely to be more hard wearing. Choosing the weight of a particular fabric will depend on how often it is going to be worn or used and what its purpose will be, for example, lightweight denim is suitable for a shirt and a heavier denim for jeans.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
It should also be taken into account that lightweight fabrics will be more appropriate for hotter temperatures. In addition, they usually have a better drape which in some cases means an interfacing will need to be applied to the back of the fabric to provide more structure, whereas heavier fabrics may not need backing.
FABRIC COMFORT
Another factor to consider is comfort especially with fabrics such as denim for the reason being that heavier denim fabrics will be much denser and sturdier. This means they will be durable for a lot longer. However until worn in the stiffness of the fabric can make the garment difficult to put on and can be more uncomfortable to move in than the lighter weight denim, therefore a compromise of a mid-weight denim fabric (about 12oz) is often a suitable option.
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