Fabric 101: Choosing Silk, Crepe, Chiffon, and Satin

The fabric you pick does more than 50% of the work on a custom dress. It determines how the dress drapes, how it catches light, how it feels against your skin, and how long it lasts. The four most common fabrics we use each have distinct personalities, and matching the right fabric to the right silhouette is one of the first conversations we have with every client.

## Quick Character Guide

- **Silk** — the most luxurious drape, takes dye beautifully, but delicate and expensive

- **Crepe** — matte finish, heavier hand, excellent for tailored silhouettes that need structure

- **Chiffon** — sheer and ethereal, lovely in layers, tricky to sew cleanly

- **Satin** — high-shine and dramatic, photographs wonderfully, less forgiving on body shape

There's no "best" fabric — only the right fabric for the dress you're making. Come into the studio and we'll pull swatches from our library so you can feel the weight and see how each one moves. Decisions made on a swatch are always better than decisions made on a screen.