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A Brief Look at Common Wedding Dress Fabrics

Regardless of the season during which a wedding will take place there is a somewhat common list of fabrics from which most gowns are made. These include the bride’s dress, but usually encompass the bridal party's gowns as well. Alphabetically, the most popular are:

Brocade – this is a thick and woven fabric that often features raised patterns. Generally wedding gowns made of this will be heavily shaped and the fabric can be found in almost any color imaginable

Charmeuse – light and silky this is a fabric which is extremely soft and even lustrous in appearance. It is extremely hard to work with and is the reason that a garment made of it will be quite costly

Chiffon – this is often used as an overlay due to its delicate and transparent nature. It can be of silk, but many modern garments use rayon chiffon instead. It is a popular choice for sleeves as well as layered skirts, and its lovely and fluid motion make it a highly romantic fabric for a wedding gown

Crepe – many people recognize crepe by its intentionally wrinkled appearance. This silky fabric has an impressive heft and weight that makes it much easier to work with and yet which gives all of the looks of a silk gown

Duchesse Satin – those looking for a gown with elegant shine and texture of silk, but at a fraction of the cost will usually turn to this fabric. It is a hybrid of rayon and silk and is woven with the outer surface to have a satin-like feel or finish

Georgette – sheer and silky, many gowns feature an overlay of this material. It can be made from silk, but is most often crafted today from polyester in order to remain affordable

Lace – wherever you seek out a wedding gown you will find a huge array of lace materials. They come as sheer and lightweight options and also as heftier materials, and they can be worn alone or layered over other fabrics too

Organza – a bit stiff, sheer, and used often as a layered material this is a fabric that appears in many designs. It can be used easily for sheer sleeves, overlays, and skirts. Because this material is stiffer and easier to work with it is more affordable than other sheers

Polyester – you will find polyester in almost all gowns, and it could appear as chiffon, georgette, jersey, and other materials

Satin – this is probably the most widely used material in bridal and wedding gowns. It is shiny on one side, smooth, and heavy which makes it easier and less costly to work with than silk

Silk –true silk materials are extremely costly, somewhat difficult to work with, easily wrinkled, and yet still sought after by millions of brides due to the beautiful richness of the results

Silk Duponi – similar to the popular Shantung silk, this option is thicker with more texture and only a mild sheen to the surface. It is a very popular option over satin

Taffeta – once used widely in formal garments, it hardly appears in them any longer. This has to do with the costs for the materials and its stiffer qualities which have fallen a bit out of fashion

Tulle – made from a range of materials, this is the major component of skirts and veils and also tutus, crinopnes, and petticoats too

Velvet – gorgeous, soft, thick, and a bit tricky to work with it also yields some of the most beautiful results imaginable.

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