Auralynne's guide to buying Quality Fabric
Chiffon is a sheer, lightweight fabric suitable for skirts and veils. Polyester chiffon or rayon chiffon is good. Silk chiffon is stunning, but extremely expensive! Do not buy Nylon chiffon or stretch chiffon! Nylon chiffon is more properly named Nylon tricot, and is cheaper in look as well as price. It is fine for stage or when quality isn't as big of an issue. All kinds of chiffon tend to snag on coin jewelry, I don't recommend combining the two. Also, a 1 layer chiffon skirt is usually too sheer to wear without something underneath (harem pants or another skirt.)
Silk is about the same weight as chiffon, but not as sheer. A white or pastel colored skirt would need something underneath, but any other color would probably be fine. Real silk is the best choice for veils - it is extremely floaty and graceful and superbly soft. "China" silk is a polyester fabric that works fine for skirts, but I don't recommend it for veils, since it just doesn't float very well. Anything made from silk should be hung in the closet since it will wrinkle horribly if stuffed in a drawer or bag.
Velvet fabric works great for bras, belts, and narrow embellished cabaret skirts. Stretch fabric is best, since it moves with you! Crushed velvet is also great, but be careful it isn't really panne. Panne is that cheap mottled velvetish fabric that I'm sure you've seen in Walmart's halloween costumes.
Cotton is the fabric of choice for outdoor events such as renaissance festivals. Gypsy skirts are generally made of cotton voile, a lightweight semisheer cotton. Cotton Duck is an extremely thick fabric best for renaissance bodices. Rayon (sometimes called Lurex when interwoven with Lurex) is a synthetic fabric that is somewhat similar to cotton in feel. Lurex (or Rayon Lurex) is an import fabric woven with threads of gold or silver. Veils made from this fabric work great for cover up but not for dancing!
Satin, if thin enough, works great for skirts. Bridal or prom satin is generally too thick. It is best to buy satin locally, since it is hard to tell how thick over the internet. The pic above is of sari satin fabric, with two colors woven together to make a beautiful pattern.
Tissue Lamé, sometimes known as just Lamé or Duo Lahm, is a metallic fabric. This is the fabric bellydance wings are normally made of. It works great for skirts, and is sometimes used for veils. Veils made from this fabric are generally heavier and best for faster moves. Tissue Lamé should not be confused with metalskin or Liquid Lamé, which is a nylon fabric with a metallic coating. Beware of using Liquid lamé in costumes, the metallic coating wears off eventually and the costume changes to the color of the nylon backing. Stretch FabricStretch fabric is usually made from a blend of different materials; the really nicely stretchy ones will have either spandex or lycra in them. What is the difference between spandex and lycra? Nothing, actually. Lycra is a brand name of spandex, and I believe it is supposed to be the best quality of spandex, though I have yet to really notice a difference. The higher the percentage of spandex/lycra in the fabric, the stretchier it is. If you have a well-fitting pattern, generally 7% is enough to make a nicely stretchy tight fitting costume.
Guide to buying Hipscarfs |
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