Things to consider when choosing clothing fabrics:

1. Consider fabric weight
The weight of a fabric is measured in GSM (grams per square meter), which defines the weight or weight of the fabric. Don't worry, you don't have to weigh the fabric at the store. Measuring fabric weight is a method of measuring the thickness of a material and can differentiate between light, medium or heavy fabrics.

2. Check fabric drape

Drapability determines how the fabric flows. In other words, stiff fabrics have less drape and fluid fabrics have more drape. Simple! But be careful with this word. Wrinkles are often confused with weight, but they are two different factors that affect the appearance of a garment.

Fabrics with more drape will allow the skirt to float away from your body, while fabrics with a softer drape will allow the skirt to conform to your body. For example, if you want a flowing skirt, you should choose a thin and drapey fabric, but if you want a more layered skirt, choose a stiff and thick fabric.

3. Test the fabric stretch

Stretch is how much your fabric stretches. Fabrics have different elasticity (the ability of textile fibers to "bounce" when stretched). When you choose a fabric that has stretch, you have to make sure it fits your pattern, as it can change how the final product fits the body.

To measure the stretch of fabric, stretch 5 inches of fabric on a ruler, place one end on the zero mark and stretch the other end until you feel resistance, then divide that number by the original length of the fabric. Example: If your fabric is stretched to 7.5 inches, it will stretch 2.5 inches from its original length. This is a 50% stretch.