Any experienced dressmaker will tell you that one of the most essential aspects of dressmaking is understanding the drape of a fabric. The way a fabric falls, folds and moves will dramatically influence how your finished garment looks and feels on the body. Choosing the correct fabric can mean the difference between a garment that looks professional and one that looks stiff or bulky.
Our dressmaker’s guide to the best fabric for drape explores what drape is, how different fabrics behave, and how to select fabrics which provide the movement and silhouette you want. We highlight why viscose and viscose blends offer the best drape when you want a fluid, elegant finish.
What is Fabric Drape?
Drape refers to how a fabric hangs under its own weight. A fabric with a good drape, like silk or viscose, will fall smoothly following the shape of the body while fabrics with less drape like cotton have more structure and hold their shape away from the body.
This means that if you are looking for movement, gathers or a flowing silhouette, viscose or viscose blends will usually provide visibly better drape than cotton.
What Determines the Drape of a Fabric?
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Fibre Type: some fibres bend easily, creating soft folds while others are stiffer and more structured.
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Fabric Weight: heavier fabrics like velvet often drape in wide folds, while lightweight fabrics tend to float in softer folds which mirror the wearer's contours.
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Fabric Structure: Looser weaves and knit fabrics tend to drape more than tightly woven fabrics.
- Fabric Blends and Finishes: blending fibres can significantly alter the drape. For example adding viscose to a cotton or linen fabric can soften the fabric and increase its movement.
It helps to think of drape as a spectrum from structured to fluid, where denim and canvas are the most structured through to viscose and silk which are the most fluid.
Drape Qualities of Cotton Fabrics
While cotton is extremely comfortable and versatile, most woven cotton fabrics are naturally more structured and less fluid than viscose fabrics.
This makes cotton an ideal choice for garments that require shape and definition but less suitable for dressmaking patterns that rely on movement.
Typical cotton uses:
- shirts and shirt dresses
- structured skirts (e.g. balloon skirts)
- children's clothing
- everyday wear which needs to be long-lasting
Woven cottons
Woven cotton is a staple in dressmaking due to its versatility, affordability, and comfort. However, when it comes to drape, it tends to be more structured and less fluid. It holds its shape quite well, making it ideal for structured garments like shirts, dresses with pleats, or A-line skirts.
Cotton Lawn
Cotton lawn is a semi-sheer type of cotton that's softer and lighter than regular woven cotton. High quality cotton lawn, like Liberty's trademark Tana Lawn™ cotton, behaves like silk with an ultra-fine, smooth and fluid texture. The drape of cotton lawn is quite elegant, softly falling close to the body, although it still has more structure than viscose. It's perfect for loose blouses, light summer dresses, and delicate lingerie or nightwear.
Cotton Poplin
Cotton poplin is another variant of cotton that's slightly heavier than cotton lawn. It has a crisp feel and a smooth surface, making it a great choice for smart shirts. It doesn't drape as well as cotton lawn or jersey, so it's best used for lightweight garments that require a bit of structure.
Cotton Voile
Voile is a lightweight, semi-sheer fabric that's often made from cotton or cotton blends. It's known for its softness and slight sheen, which gives it a touch of luxury. When it comes to drape, voile falls beautifully. It's light and airy, creating a delicate, floaty drape, which is still less fluid than viscose. Voile is perfect for loose, flowing garments like summer dresses, blouses, and scarves. However, due to its sheer nature, you might need to line or layer it for certain garments. It’s also a great option for lining other garments made from natural fibres.
Cotton Twill and Denim
These cotton fabrics are heavier and stiffer, with virtually zero drape, making them ideal for trousers, jackets and utility garments.
Jersey
This popular knit fabric is known for its soft drape, thanks to its knit construction. Jersey falls beautifully, hugging the body's contours and creating soft folds. It's ideal for designs that require a fluid drape like wrap dresses, maxi dresses, and t-shirts. Lightweight jersey has a softer drape than a heavyweight jersey which is more structured. Cotton jersey is less fluid than viscose or bamboo jersey.
Bamboo Jersey
Bamboo fabric is a dream when it comes to drape. It's incredibly soft, lightweight, and has a beautiful, subtle sheen. The drape is elegant, making it perfect for high-end designs. Plus, it's eco-friendly, which is always a bonus in our book.
Linen
Linen is not usually seen as a fabric with good drape although it isn't completely stiff either. The unique feature of linen is that the softness and drape improve with washing and wear. If you want the properties of linen with improved drape, look for a linen blended with viscose.
The Drape Qualities of Semi-Synthetic and Synthetic Fabrics
These man-made materials have their own unique properties when it comes to drape, and they are the obvious choice for certain designs where the standout feature is the fluidity of the garment.
Viscose Fabrics and Drape
Viscose is a semi-synthetic fibre derived from natural sources using regenerated cellulose from wood pulp. It's loved by dressmakers for its silk-like feel and superb drape.
Viscose fibres are smoother and more flexible than cotton fibres, which allows the fabric to fall more easily, allowing softer folds and greater movement in the finished garment. This makes it an ideal choice for garments that need movement or an elegant silhouette, such as dresses, skirts and blouses.
Viscose blends such as viscose with linen also offer a similar level of drape while providing more breathability, durability and texture.
Viscose Blends and Drape
Viscose blend fabrics like our Viscose and Linen combine the excellent drape of viscose with the practical benefits of other fibres. Viscose blends are extremely popular with dressmakers as they offer movement with enhanced durability, breathability, stretch or texture.
In most cases, a viscose blend will have better drape than a similar weight cotton fabric, while being easier to care for than 100% viscose.
Polyester
Polyester is 100% synthetic and can be a bit of a wild card when it comes to drape. It largely depends on how it's woven or knitted, . Some polyester fabrics, like chiffon, have a beautiful, floaty drape, while others, like double knit polyester, are more structured. It's a versatile and budget-friendly fabric that can mimic the properties of natural fibres, so it's worth considering for a range of designs.
Crepe
Crepe is a type of fabric that can be made from silk, wool, viscose or synthetic fibres like polyester. It's known for its distinctive crinkled texture and slightly pebbly feel. The drape of crepe varies depending on its weight and fibre composition. Lightweight crepe, like crepe de chine, has a delicate, fluid drape, while heavier crepe, like our triple crepe, is more structured. It's a fantastic fabric for creating visual interest in your designs.
Remember, while synthetic fibres may not have the natural breathability of cotton or jersey, they offer excellent durability, colour retention, and wrinkle resistance. Plus, they can be a more affordable option, which can be a big plus for your dressmaking projects.
Rule of Thumb for Viscose vs Cotton Drape
- Choose cotton for breathability, structure and crisp shapes.
- Choose viscose for softness and movement
- Choose viscose blends for drape with added durability and breathability.
How to Determine the Drape of a Fabric
Determining a fabric's drape qualities is a crucial step in the fabric selection process, and thankfully, it's quite simple. When you're in a fabric shop, the first thing you should do is hold the fabric up by a corner and observe how it falls. Does it hang straight down with little movement, or does it flow and ripple? This can give you a good idea of its drape.
For a more hands-on test, try scrunching the fabric in your hand, then releasing it. Does it spring back to its original shape, or does it retain wrinkles? Fabrics that spring back are likely to have a more fluid drape, while those that hold wrinkles may be stiffer.
Finally, consider the fabric's weight and thickness. Lightweight, finer fabrics like cotton lawn, voile and viscose typically have a softer, more fluid drape, while heavier, thicker fabrics like triple crepe are more structured.
A Comparison of Fabric Drape
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Fabric Type |
Typical Drape |
Best For |
|
Denim and Cotton Twill |
Structured |
Jeans, Trousers, Jackets |
|
Cotton Poplin |
Structured |
Shirts, skirts, tailored dresses |
|
Linen |
Medium Drape |
Trousers, dresses, skirts |
|
Cotton Lawn |
Light Drape |
Blouses, summer dresses |
|
Viscose |
Fluid Drape |
Dresses, skirts, blouses |
|
Viscose Blends |
Fluid with additional fabric performance like breathability and durability |
Everyday dresses, trousers |
|
Silk |
Fluid Luxurious drape |
Dresses, blouses |
Designs which enhance Drape
Remember, the drape of a fabric can greatly influence the final look of your garment, so it's worth taking the time to test and choose the right fabric for your design with the best drape for your chosen garment. If you are following a pattern there are always fabric recommendations to help guide your choices.
Questions to Ask
- Does the garment need structure or fluidity?
- Will the fabric need to gather?
- Do I want a crisp or relaxed silhouette?
You can also look out for patterns with design elements that can enhance the drape of a garment. Gathers, pleats, tucks, and ruching are all dressmaker’s techniques that can manipulate the drape of a fabric to create visual interest and shape.
These techniques allow you to play with the drape of a fabric and create unique, eye-catching designs. They're a testament to the transformative power of dressmaking - how a flat piece of fabric can be shaped and manipulated into a three-dimensional garment. So, don't be afraid to experiment with these techniques in your designs.
Ask Us about the Drape of our Fabrics
This dressmaker’s guide to drape was inspired by questions our customers frequently ask us in the shop and when placing their online orders. We have a beautiful online collection of fabrics with excellent drape. If you want to know about the drape of a fabric not listed above, please do not hesitate to phone us on 020 7738 9589 and we can advise on any fabric we stock online.
Authored by: Annabelle Rigg, Online and Store Manager at Fabrics Galore London
Reviewed by: Paul Johnston, Owner and Founder of Fabrics Galore London since 1992
