This handy guide to wedding dress fabrics will help you sort through the sea of Silk Mikado and Chantilly Lace to find the most appropriate fabric for your wedding day look.
Silk
The most common, cherished, and priciest wedding gown fabric, silk is a smooth and soft natural fiber. Silk threads are woven to create tons of other fabrics - such as satin, duchesse satin, shantung, charmeuse, chiffon, organza and even tulle.
Satin
Very common in wedding gowns, satin is a densely woven silk with a lustrous sheen on one side.
Duchesse Satin
More affordable than pure silk satin, duchesse satin is a lightweight blend of silk and rayon (a less expensive, synthetic fiber).
Charmeuse
Lightweight and soft, Charmuese is a satin-like fabric with a slightly more subdued luster.
A plain-weave silk or cotton fabric, Shantung is notable for its rubbed, rough texture.
Dupioni
Dupioni silk has a similar finish to shantung, but with a thicker, coarser finish and a slight sheen.
Silk Mikado
A blended silk, Silk Mikado is usually heavier than regular silk.
Chiffon
Soft, sheer, and transparent, Chiffon can be made from silk (more expensive) or rayon (more affordable). Due to its delicate transparency, chiffon is often layered and is popular for sleeves, overskirts, and wraps.
Taffeta
A crisp, smooth and light-weave fabric with a slight rib, Taffeta is made from silk or synthetic fibers.
Moire
A heavy silk taffeta, Moire is noted for a subtle, wavy design.
Organdy
Organdy is a stiff, transparent silk or rayon fabric.
Tulle
A fine, starched netting made of silk, nylon, or rayon, Tulle is often used for skirts and veils.
Organza
A sheer, stiff fabric of silk or synthetic material, Organza is similar to tulle, but less coarse and more flowing.
Silk Gazar
A four-ply silk organza.
Illusion
A fine, sheer net fabric, Illusion is typically used on necklines or sleeves.
Brocade
A popular winter fabric, Brocade is a Jacquard-woven (a type of loom) fabric with an ornate raised design. Brocade is a popular winter fabric.
Damask
Similar to brocade with raised designs, but lighter in weight.
A soft, thick fabric with a felted face and plain underside - also a winter fabric.
Crepe
A soft silk fabric with a gauzy texture and a crinkled surface.
Georgette
A sheer, lightweight fabric, Georgette is made of polyester or silk with a crepe surface.
Eyelet
Featuring open-weave embroidery - breezy Eyelet is typically associated with spring and summer.
French for "skin of silk," Peau de Soie is a satin-faced silk or synthetic fabric with a dull luster, fine ribs, and a grainy appearance.
Jersey:
An elastic knit fabric, Jersey has lengthwise ribs on the face and crosswise ribs on the underside.
Faille:
A woven fabric of silk, cotton or rayon, Faille is a heavier fabric with a structured, ribbed finish.
Gabardine:
A tightly-woven, tough fabric with a durable finish and single diagonal lines on the face, Gabardine is often used to make suits, overcoats and trousers.
A lightweight, soft, and transparent fabric in plain weave.
Polyester:
An inexpensive synthetic fiber that can be woven into almost any fabric
Rayon:
A smooth manufactured fabric that is similar to silk, but more elastic and affordable.
