Fabrics and materials: choose with your head, not only your eyes

The fabric decides the shape, the comfort, the life of the piece and a large part of the cost. And a fabric mistake cannot be fixed by sewing.

What to ask about

• Composition: cotton, linen, wool, polyester, blends. Each behaves differently in heat and in the wash.
• Weight (GSM): measures how dense the fabric is, and affects drape, feel and season.
• Hand feel: the touch and flexibility of the fabric, which can only be judged by touching it.
• Color fastness and shrinkage: does it fade or shrink after washing?
• Climate and use: a beautiful fabric that does not suit high heat can become a repeated complaint.

Simple tests

Ask for fabric swatches before any decision. Wash a swatch once or twice as your customer will, measure the shrinkage and watch the color. Crumple it in your hand to see how it recovers.

Exercise

For every fabric in your collection, write its composition, weight, likely supplier and your note after the wash test.