10 popular fabrics for sewing casual dresses and tops

This page is all about what I would buy if I were looking for the right fabric to make dresses and simple tops; you can easily check out these fabrics in a showroom by the names given. 

Then you can first-hand see how the fabric hangs on your body, how it will look, how it will move as you move, how it feels on your skin etc. – which are very important factors to look for in clothes you will be wearing all day long.  

There is no shortage of choices when selecting fabric for dresses. But there are always some favorites. And these are mine.

Popular fabrics for sewing casual dresses and tops

1. Jersey Fabric

Jersey is a lightweight knit fabric with a 2-way stretch. It is one of the most comfortable fabrics for dressmaking; Soft on the body, with enough stretch for good comfort.

There are many types of jersey fabrics – 100% Cotton jersey fabric is a thin, lightweight fabric with a little stretch and a nice enough drape.  It is a good breathable fabric for making casual dresses. This is also called T-Shirt Jersey

Poly/cotton blend jersey fabric is comfortable and has qualities of polyester to add to the mix – no waviness that is usual in knits. Triblend, is a blend of rayon with cotton and polyester, and this is a softer material than poly-cotton jersey. This would be my first choice if I had to choose a knit fabric.

Read more about jersey fabric here, because there are some disadvantages in choosing jersey knits, too. You can check them out on that page. And also this page on sewing tips for jersey fabric.

2. Cotton Linen or Cotton lawn

If you want light, airy clothes, cotton fabrics are good choices. Cotton lawn fabric is smooth, soft, lightweight, and comes in good prints. It is a great fabric for lightweight dresses- though you may have to line the garment. Cotton-linen is a mix of linen and cotton with a loose weave – both may need lining to make them wearable.

3. Seersucker fabric

Seersucker is a cotton fabric with a puckered surface texture. It is a favorite for making little girls’ frocks. The fabric can be made into beautiful tops and dresses for adults too.

4. Poplin

Cotton poplin, as well as stretch poplin, are used for making dresses. Cotton poplin (a shirting material) is a very comfortable fabric with a good drape and a slightly crisp feel. It is thin and lightweight but also very strong. And the best part is it does not wrinkle much. It is a shirting material used to sew dresses and tops.

Learn more about Poplin here.

5. Cupro

Cupro is a breathable, environmentally friendly fabric that is very soft and has a good drape. It is moisture-wicking and lightweight – overall, a good choice for making smooth, comfortable clothes.

6. Double Knit fabrics

These are thicker knit fabrics, best used for slightly structured clothes if you do not want the thinness of usual knits. Scuba, Liverpool, and Ponte are different varieties. Ponte Roma is a favorite. Scuba fabric is thicker than Ponte.

Related posts : If you like knits, you can read more in detail on the right knit fabrics for dresses here. Knits are superior dressmaking fabrics, no doubt. Read more about the different names of knit fabrics too.

7. Rayon 

If you look at clothes in shops, most cotton-look-alike soft fabrics are marked rayon or viscose. Suppose you want a very drapey, soft, lightweight material, and you do not care that you may have to add lining to the garment and that it is a difficult fabric to maintain roughly. In that case, this is the best fabric for those beautiful casual dresses.

Soft viscose twill fabric is a softer, smoother version of the twill fabric. It is an elegant fabric suitable for making good-looking dresses with a nice drape. Rayon challis is a popular type.

Related post : Rayon fabric. 

8. Medium weight printed cotton 

Gingham is a medium-weight check patterned fabric. This is a favorite fabric for sewing girls’ dresses with smocking.

Printed quilting cotton needs to be of good quality for it to be good for sewing dresses and tops. It is not very drapey but rather has a crispy feel. The prints and patterns available with medium-weight cotton are mind-blowing, and they can be sewn into interesting-looking casual light weight dresses and blouses.

9. Soft linen

Linen is a very comfortable and elegant fabric. A lightweight linen fabric can be a great fabric for making crisp and cool dresses. It is one of the best fabrics for wearing in summer. Linen becomes softer with wear and wash.

10. Poly cotton fabric

This is a blended fabric – of polyester and cotton fibers with characteristics of both fibers. The fabric comes in vivid colors, is somewhat wrinkle-resistant, and is easy to care for. But some poly-cotton fabrics may be weak and may fray, so you have to ensure the quality.

Polyester as such is not a very comfortable option because of the synthetic nature of the fabric, but considering that a lot of clothes today are made of polyester, there is still a charm about polyester as a dressmaking fabric because it is easy to wash and dry and does not wrinkle much.

Polyester chiffon, georgette, and crepe are all used in dressmaking as overlays or pretty flowery print blouses and dresses. Because they are lightweight, they all have good drape – better than cotton.

What is your favourite fabric to sew casual tops and dresses?.

Related post : How to buy fabrics – the correct way