Know Your Fabric

Before buying your dream wedding gown, you may need to know some basic information about wedding dress fabric. This will help you better understand what the designer is referring to and talking about. Here are a few pointers...

Brocade are interwoven, raised designs, with satin weave background, using one or more fillings to make a motif or artwork within the fabric.

Chiffon is a sheer fabric with a simple weave. It is lightweight which is drapable.

Dotted Swiss is a sheer, very light, muslin fabric embellished with raised dots, homogeneous.

Eyelet Lace is small, unsymmetrical perforations finished with a buttonhole stitch.

Faille (pronounced: "file") is a shiny, tightly woven wedding dress fabric made of silk or rayon and has a crosswise rib effect.

Moire is generally made of a polyester or silk taffeta patterned to glisten like water when seen in defused light.

Point d'esprit is a polyester net sewn together in such a way as to create a diamond pattern.

Polynet is the netting most often used to make yokes and sleeves.

Organza is a transparent, simply woven fabric.

Satin is opaque, woven in a satin weave with smooth finish.

Slipper Satin is a light, soft, neatly woven fabric that shines in the light.

Italian Satin is a heavy satin fabric, with body, and sheen.

Taffeta has a matte or shiny finish and will be quite stiff when used for the outer layer.

Tulle is tiny, meshed net of a silk, cotton or synthetic fabric.

Tullonet is a coarse net used to give fullness.