Best Fabric for Lining Dresses (Lining a Jersey Knit Dress)
If you’re new to making your own clothes, you’re probably wondering whether going to the effort of lining a dress is really worth it.
Fabric for Lining Dresses 101
Do Dresses Need Linings?
The answer, as with most things, is …. it depends. Some dresses can be made without a lining; others will look and feel a whole lot nicer with a lining attached.
To understand when lining might be needed and when you can feasibly go without it, we need to understand the purpose lining actually serves.
- Providing modesty by adding an extra layer of opacity (or in other words, stop you revealing more than you’d like under lightweight, sheer dresses).
- Acting as a built-in slip to stop the outer layer of the garment clinging or causing friction.
- Making clothes more comfortable to wear by providing a silky barrier between your skin and rough fabrics.
- Increasing breathability.
- Preventing knitted or tight garments from sagging or stretching out of shape.
If you’re planning on making a loose, wafting, hippie- style dress, you can probably get away with not adding a lining. If, on the other hand, you’re making a dress with some structure, that’s just verging on the transparent or is made from a clinging or rough material, lining is going to be a necessary evil.
What Kind Of Fabric Is Used For Lining?
Choosing what kind of fabric to use for lining can be a tricky business, especially considering the number of different fabrics available for that exact purpose.
When you’re deciding between different lining materials, consider a few key questions:
Is it breathable? Unless you want to feel sweaty and hot in your dress, always consider how breathable the lining is.
Is it affordable? If you’ve just spent a fortune on the material for the outer layer of the dress (or in other words, the “fashion fabric”), the last thing you want is to spend another small fortune on the lining.
Is it easy to care for? If you plan on machine washing your dress, choose a lining that’s as easy to care for as the fashion fabric.
Does it suit the dress fabric? Before you invest in a lining material, consider both the qualities of the fashion fabric you’ve used and what you’re hoping to achieve by adding a lining. If you’re adding a lining for opacity, make sure the lining is opaque enough when combined with the dress material to achieve the desired effect. Sometimes, it pays to look for a lining that has the same kind of qualities as the fashion fabric. So, for example, if you’re using a stretchy knit material for the dress, make sure the lining stretches in the same way. Otherwise, you risk an uncomfortable experience and even one that could damage the dress.
Types Of Lining Fabric For Dresses
Lining fabrics come in a variety of types, and while there are no specific rules about the type you use (much will depend on how much you’re prepared to spend, and what the purpose of the lining will be), it pays to know a little about the different options available.
A few of the most common types of fabric used for lining include:
Stretch Cottons
If you’re lining a dress made from stretchy material, you’ll want to choose a lining with a similar amount of stretch. Stretch fabrics advertised as “lining material” can be tricky to find, so it’s worth browsing the fashion fabric aisles as well. Stretch poplin and stretch shirting are both good examples of the “stretch cotton” genre, and, being made from natural fibers, offer excellent breathability and comfort.
100% Cotton Voile
100% cotton voile drapes wonderfully, has a sumptuously silky hand feel, and comes in a wide variety of colors.
Radiance Cotton/ Silk Blends
With a slippery texture on one side and great opacity, Radiance cotton/ silk blends make a great choice of lining fabric – although beware: premium fabric comes with a premium price. Expect to part with around $16 per yard.
Polyester
The shiny, slippery quality of polyester will turn even the roughest dress into a pleasure to wear, while its availability in a wide range of colors and weights makes it easy to partner with a variety of different projects. The big downside is its breathability (or lack thereof). If you need something to absorb sweat and soak up odors, this isn’t the best option.
Siri
For the uninitiated, Siri is a cotton/ poly blend that offers the best of both worlds. Like polyester, it’s affordable, super-soft, and easy to care for. The high cotton content, meanwhile, ensures that unlike 100% polyester fabrics, it offers great breathability. Siri fabrics come in both lightweight and medium weight options. The lightweight option is airy and drapes beautifully against the skin, making it a great lining for silk dresses. The mediumweight option makes a suitable pairing for garments with a little more body, including sateen, poplin, and pique.
Imperial Cotton
Imperial cotton is a 65/35 cotton/poly blend that offers very similar qualities to Siri. its main advantage is the huge variety of colors it comes in.
Acetate
Acetate or rayon makes a solid choice for dress linings. Unlike polyester, it’s breathable and static-free, but like polyester, it’s available in a choice of weights and colors, is easy to care for, and incredibly durable.
Silk
If you’re happy to push the boat out, a silk lining makes a great choice. Luxurious, a joy to wear, breathable, long-lasting, butter-soft… if there’s a quality you could wish for in a lining, you can bet your bottom dollar (and you may have to) that silk has it. Considering the considerable cost per yard, most people tend to keep silk linings for very occasional use only.
Stretch Jersey Lining Fabric
When you’re making a dress with “streeeeetch”, you need a lining that will do the same.
Stretch jersey most definitely has stretch. While that can make for a super comfortable dress, it also means there are a few important things to look for when you’re choosing lining fabric.
- Stretchy: Jersey knits can stretch, either a little or a lot. Look for a lining that has enough stretch to it that when the dress stretches, so does it.
- Anti-Static: Jersey knit dresses made from synthetic blends attract more than their fair share of static electricity. Combat the effects by choosing a lining with anti-static qualities.
Polyester/ spandex blends answer a lot of the above criteria, as well as having the added advantage of being easy to care for. On the flip-side, they lack breathability and can be tricky to work with. For those reasons, many prefer blends of acetate/ spandex or rayon/ spandex - with these types of fabrics, you get both the breathability you need to stay comfortable and plenty of that all-important “streeeeetch”.
Lining a Jersey Knit Dress
Jersey fabric comes in one of two kinds: knit or woven. Finding lining for woven fabrics is easy enough, but finding one made specifically for knitted jersey can be tricky.
Fortunately, you’re not limited to using “lining” fabric to line your jersey-knit dress. Even if a fabric is advertised as fashion material (i.e. the type that goes into the outer layer of garments), it can still be used for lining.
If you can, choose a lining in the same material as the dress: this will make sure both layers stretch, age, and wear in the same way, and you’re not left with any puckering or twisting.
If this isn’t viable (for example, if the fabric is too rough to wear directly next to the skin, or too expensive to pay twice over) look for a fabric that combines nylon with spandex such as Shaper Power Mesh.
Lining Fabric For Summer Dresses
When it comes to choosing lining fabrics for summer dresses, the key thing to consider is the breathability of the fabric. Nothing is quite so bad as being caught on a hot summer’s day in a garment that doesn’t “breathe”. Natural fibers usually come out top when it comes to that super-elusive breathability factor, but even then, they’re not all a guarantee of success in particularly hot climes.
While silks can work well in moderately warm conditions, people who find themselves particularity affected by the heat will find 100% cotton the preferable option.
Fine Woven Fabrics Used For Lining
Woven fabrics tend not to stretch as much as knitted fabrics, and will only stretch diagonally on the bias. While this makes them unsuitable for lining dresses that have some stretch to them, it doesn’t mean they’re not without their uses.
Whether you’re looking to add some structure to your dress or simply need a breathable, soft layer between your skin and the outer layers of the dress, you’ll find these fine woven fabrics great options:
- Poplin: A medium weight fabric with a fine weft rib.
- Satin: Glossy on one side and dull on the back, satin has a gorgeously soft, honied feel. It makes a fine choice of lining for formal wear.
- Silk: Who doesn’t love the smooth, buttery softness of silk? Despite its fragile-looking beauty, silk offers a strong, durable choice of lining with excellent breathability.
- Chiffon: Made from twisted yarn, chiffon is a lightweight fabric with a sheer quality that’s a good choice for evening dresses.
- Taffeta: Although it has some slightly annoying quirks (as anyone who’s noticed how easily it wrinkles will know), taffeta can be used to good effect as a lining. Made from a fine, crisp, plain woven fabric, it holds its shape well and can help lend form and structure to flimsy frocks.
Lining Fabric For Wedding Dresses
If you’re going to the effort of making your own dress for the special day, choosing the right lining is a vital element in getting the look just right.
Some of the most common types of lining used for wedding dresses include:
Silk Habotai: Known for its lightweight qualities, fineness, softness, and silky feel, silk habotai is a plain weave silk that makes a sound choice of lining.
Silk Satin: If your wedding dress is made of satin, sticking to a silk satin for the lining is a wise choice. Available in a wide variety of weights, it imbues a beautiful fluidity of movement, prevents clinging, and, thanks to its silky texture, results in minimal friction between the lining and the dress fabric. For a heavyweight satin dress, a lightweight satin option is ideal. For thinner dresses with less structure, opt for a heavier satin lining to protect your modesty and ensure a smooth line.
Organza: What could be more appropriate for a wedding dress than the gorgeously romantic organza? Featuring a blend of nylon, polyester, and silk, organza varies between the translucent and the sheer, with the weave of the fabric determining the end result. Elegant and just the right side of ethereal, it’s a good pairing for heavyweight dresses.
Taffeta: Taffeta is a popular choice for wedding dresses. Thin and crisp, it holds its shape well, lending form and structure (but without the corresponding bulk) to dresses of the flimsy or lightweight variety.
Best Fabric For Lining Dresses
Wondering what the best fabric is for lining dresses? Then keep wondering…
As we’ve seen, different materials have different qualities, and what works for one kind of dress could be a frocky-horror show in another. Lining is about function, not fashion: to decide what lining material is best for your particular dress, you need to consider what results you’re hoping to achieve by using it (increasing breathability, reducing friction, adding structure, etc.). Choose a lining material that will deliver the results you want, and you can’t go wrong.
Hopefully, today’s in-depth look at the benefits of lining (and the best fabrics to use for that purpose) will help turn your next dress-making endeavor into a triumph. Do feel free to share the post if you know of anyone else in need of some lining guidance.
