5 Tips to Choose the Right Fabric for Your Clothing

Posted by Lucas Smith on November 24th, 2020

Imagine you’ve got a fantastic idea for making t-shirts for men; you turn it into a sketch and visualize the final look. To turn it into an actual clothing piece the first step would be to acquire the fabric and stitch it into the pattern. Now, let’s say the chosen fabric doesn’t go with the clothing idea which could turn your fantastic idea into a total fashion disaster. You wouldn’t want that. Right?

The most eminent element of a garment is Fabric. Therefore, choosing the fabric is a crucial step in making a garment. No matter seamlessly your garment is stitched, if you’ve chosen a wrong fabric for your clothing it will be a fiasco. To save yourself and your fantastic clothing idea, follow the below tips and choose the right fabric for your clothing.

How to choose the right fabric for your clothing?

1. Research as per your project:

Before you hop on for your fabric shopping, you should research about the type of garment you want to make as it can get a little overwhelming for you to select the fabric from the varied number and types of fabrics available in the stores. Try window shopping to get an idea about the type of fabrics available and trending in the market. Envision your design, the color you’d want to use and an explicit idea of the final look of the garment, before you enter the store.

2. Asses the Fabric weight:

The fabric weight determines how heavy or light fabric is. Measuring the fabric weight will help you measure the thickness of the material, and differentiate between light-weight, medium-weight, or heavy-weight fabric. It will let you decide how much fabric you will need to buy.

3. Analyze the Fabric Drape:

The drape of the fabric is one of the most vital factors in choosing a fabric that looks good and suits the project. The drape determines the flow or hang of the fabric. Soft fabrics will have more drape and stiff fabrics will have less drape. For instance: If you wish to make structured tank tops for men, you should prefer a stiff or thick fabric, but if you want a tank top that hangs softly, choose a thin fabric.

4. Test the Fabric stretch:

Stretch is the ability of the fabric to bounce back when they are stretched. Different fabrics have different elasticity and it can be tested by pulling the fabric between your fingers. When you choose a fabric with stretch, ensure that it works for your pattern because it can change how the final product fits the body.

5. Test the color:

Before you buy any fabric, it is imperative to check how the fabric looks in natural light as the lighting in stores can make a color look different. If you’re making something for yourself, it is recommended to check how the fabric will look against your skin.

About West Nomad:

Two friends imagined Westnomad- Ryan & Dalton, who shares a mutual fondness for animals, passion for fighting for animal rights and raising awareness about the homeless animals. The biggest obstacles faced by animal rescues and shelters are having a steady income stream or getting donations to assist in their day-to-day operations. Therefore, our goal is to help provide consistent revenue for our partners who work towards the eradication of the suffering of homeless animals. Westnomad is an organization who donates 80% of its income generated through the sale of clothing for both men & women such as cool hoodies for men, t-shirts for men etc. towards protecting animals.

To know more visit: Westnomad.ca