r/Fabrics

I asked a question in a different sub, asking about why old clothes hold up better than new clothes or those produced by fast fashion, and while I got a large variety of answers, a good chunk of the responses talked about fabric quality going down in recent years. What are the markers for what is high or low quality fabric? What are the techniques that lead to high-quality fabric, and what mistakes lead to low quality fabric? Why has the quality gone down in recent years?

Not sure if this is the right sub for this. I bought a wool dog bed and love it, but my late dog had kidney disease so his bed was soiled enough that I needed to wash it (they say not to wash the wool but the urine smell was too strong). Some of the wool sort of balled up but not to the point of being felted. I can sort of break it apart with my hands but it’s exhausting to even do one small piece.
Any recommendations for what instrument to use?

Hi everyone,
I’m currently looking for high-quality fabric suppliers rather than garment manufacturers.
My priority is exceptionally soft fabrics suitable for children and warm climates.

I’m interested in sourcing:
Lenzing TENCEL Modal / Lyocell
Micro Modal
Supima or Pima Cotton
Premium Combed Cotton Jersey
Bamboo blends

I’ve already contacted manufacturers in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and the UAE, but I’m finding that most factories either don’t stock these fabrics or have very high MOQs.

Im just starting a new brand and hopefully grow enough to fulfill the high MOQs but at the moment not looking for a container load of material

I’m happy to source the fabric separately and have it stitched by a CMT manufacturer if that’s the better approach.

Does anyone know reputable fabric mills, wholesalers, or distributors that supply these fabrics with reasonable MOQs?
Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Moisture-wicking, ergonomic, etc.

I'm skeptical of synthetic fabrics, fabrics like merino wool, gore-tex, and products that claim to be ergonomic. They seem to usually be worse and just marketed as better, seem to only be better under specific conditions like sailboats or when firefighting, or seem to exclude negative information that gives a far more complete picture than the misleadingly partial picture it was presented as having.

They seem to often be toxic, worsen body odor, cause skin or skin microbiome problems, possibly cause brain fog, possibly cause or have static issues, experience pilling, break down faster, not actually improve performance (or be much worse in many ways but SLIGHTLY better in one way), have worse manufacturing quality, be priced MUCH higher (or sometimes be cheaper than cotton), or have benefits that are overkill like an SPF of 90.

And products that are marketed as ergonomic seem to not actually be ergonomic, just very different or SLIGHTLY different, possibly with negligible benefit if any, and possibly less ergonomic.

Edit: I'm skeptical of merino wool and gore-tex too. They feel like innovations to be skeptical of.

Has anyone used any fabrics at Michael’s for garments and liked it? I’ve got a gift card I need to use, but am struggling to find anything good both in person and online.
I’m looking for something lightweight and flowy, natural fibres if possible, but at this point I’ll take anything.
I know selection there is low, but I was hoping someone might have found something good.

I have a silk top that I use mostly as a coverup when I’m wearing a tank top on a hot day. IE it’s not an Hermes silk top it’s a leopard print silk shirt that I wear when I don’t want to feel exposed lmao.

It says dry clean only but for a shirt I’m sweating in so much that’s kind of a pain. I don’t care if the shirt gets wrinkly when I wash, I just want to make sure it’s not going to totally ruin the fabric.

Hi all! I’m unable to post a picture, but I was going through my fabric stash and found out that my black silk taffeta from Silk Baron has developed some strange white dots that seem to be in between the fibers. Rubbing at them with my fingers seems to smear some of the white dots, but doesn’t eradicate them completely. I’ve never washed the fabric—I just put it right into a storage bin upon receipt (which was about 3 years ago, and I haven’t really touched it since then). The fabric does not have a smell.
Does anyone know what might be causing these white spots or what they are?

Not sure if this is the right place to post but hopefully some fabric experts can help!

I've got a gorgeous long satin (no silk) skirt I'd love to wear out in 2 days but unfortunately it's been in storage and quite wrinkled. I don't own an iron, straighters, hairdryer or anything like that- is there any way I can smooth it without damaging the fabric? Hanging helped a little but not completely

I’ve seen that polyester is bad for health and the environment so I’ve wanted to try and buy more natural fabrics. I am 15 years old and have a lot of polyester in not only my room, but my home. I also just recently got a 100% cotton bedsheet and pillowcase but my beds actual cover is 100% polyester and I have a memory foam topper that was my sisters so I don’t know what brand it was. I also have a ton of polyester plushies that I really don’t want to throw out but I’ve been super anxious about the affects of polyester to the point that I would sleep on the floor to avoid my bed. I’m aware that there is microplastics and harmful chemicals everywhere but I’m not sure what to do. Would putting on my cotton sheets onto my bed ruin them? Would the chemicals transfer to them? And also, what should I do with my plushies? My mom bought me a lot of them + some friends and family members so I’d feel terrible giving them away.

EDIT: I have decided to try and not freak out over this too much and that no matter what, I’ll be at health risk since everything is toxic in some way. I will probably still have times where I panic but Im going to try and remind myself that it’s better to try and do better by not purchasing more than spiraling. I am also going to still keep some polyester stuff on my bed since a lot of my plushies and a pillow from my grandma are polyester and hold sentimental value

We are based out of India, we are looking for polyester spendex fabric 250 to 270 GSM, very soft to skin and breathable and good for summer similar to Lulu lemon fabric, we want to make all day pant for women.

Any lead

Dm

Now that we don't have Jo-Ann's, I need to be able to find a particular fabric that I used to buy there. Any help? Where do you go online, what's your best pick?

There are so many online sellers that I can't tell if they're real or not. I appreciate anything

I got tshirt samples for both the fabrics. But I’m confused which one to choose. French terry is in budget and used by lots or brands but it the inner Tshirt material seemed a bit uncomfortable to wear whereas supima is perfectly comfortable outside and inside but it’s expensive and kinda out of my budget.
Please share your opinions!

Hey. I am looking to sew my own bikini, taking inspiration from eco swimwear sites which use a hemp cotton mix. They are really expensive so I'd rather buy the fabric myself and sew it to my measurements but I'm not sure the best place to buy this fabric from. I'm looking for unbleached non toxic hemp and/or cotton fabric, anybody know where I can find this in the UK?

Hi! What do you think is the best fabric (aside from 100% cotton) where I can still print streetwear designs on but the fabric is still breathable and cool for hot tropical climate? I’ve read that the polyester blends wicks sweat but is not best for printing as the ink doesn’t stick good to the fabric. Thanks!

I’m not being allowed to post any pics, but I’ve been buying a bunch of vintage fabrics from a woman that is cleaning out her grandmothers house.
I am new to sewing, so I really know very little about fabrics.
I bought a 28 yard bolt of vintage upholstery fabric because it’s super cute…. Woodland deer, bears, fish. It’s screen printed and looks almost like a paint by number.
I really don’t need all this fabric, so I figured I’d sell some, but I’m having trouble finding comps online.
Selvage says COPR PATTERN SCREEN PRINT DRIP DRY
Group isn’t allowing me to post pics. Does anyone have any info on value?

I am a small business owner and I make items using flannel fabric. Right now I am using Mammoth Flannel by Robert Kaufman because I really love the quality and color options. In the past I have used Plaiditudes (sp?) from Joann's, but have unfortunately run out. I am looking for quality flannel fabric that will hold up to frequent use and is no more than $14 a yard and has lots of plaid color options.

I am also looking for a wholesale option that would cost less per yard. Robert Kaufman has the option for wholesale, but I am looking to move away from the company at this time. So any wholesale recommendations would be appreciated as well!

Hi everyone,

I want to create a wedge-shaped reading pillow (the kind you lean against in bed or on the sofa), and I've been going back and forth on the cover fabric. I landed on 100% cotton twill, around 270–300 gsm, mostly for the good properties I've read about.

But now I'm second-guessing it, because I almost never see pillow covers made from cotton twill. Price aside, is there a practical reason twill isn't more common for this, or am I missing something?

Just wanted to hear your opinions since its summer in my region and the world is literally and figuratively on fire.

So, this was bugging me: do moisture wicking fabrics really keep you cool? A Google search reveals that they do - or at least they are asserted to do so.

I have not found any objective, quantitative evidence that these fabrics work to keep you cool as advertised.

My own anecdotal experience is that if it is hot enough, I will sweat through whatever I’m wearing and will be hotAF no matter what.