Silk is a timelessly trendy natural fabric woven from the cocoons of silk worms. The world’s most famous fashion brands regularly apply it for various men’s and women’s outfits earning the admiration of the audience.
Sheer fabric is any type of fabric that is see-through, or transparent. Unlike opaque materials, sheer cloth does not hide your body from view. It offers little protection against cold which makes it an extremely popular choice for women’s summer clothing, underwear and lingerie.
Sheer fabrics can be purely natural, like silk or cotton, or synthetic, like rayon or nylon. Lightweight, they are easily combined with opaque fabrics giving you hundreds of ideas for stylish outfits. Let’s talk about the most popular types of skin-revealing materials you can find online.
Translucent fabrics come in different weights and degrees of sheerness. The table below shows the most typical sheer materials used for clothing:
Fabric |
Fiber |
Weight |
Properties |
---|---|---|---|
Organza |
Silk, polyester, nylon |
10-40 g/m2 |
Airy, crisp, stiff, smooth, very prone to wrinkling |
Organdie |
Cotton, nylon |
40-100 g/m2 |
Firm, stiff, very prone to wrinkling |
Chiffon |
Silk, polyester |
20-40 g/m2 |
Soft, flowy, drapable |
Georgette |
Silk, polyester |
40-60 g/m2 |
Grainy, dull, durable, billowing drape |
Gauze |
Cotton, silk, wool, polyester |
30-80 g/m2 |
Loosely woven, thin, durable, stiff |
Voile |
Cotton, linen, silk, polyester, rayon |
50-70 g/m2 |
Soft, free-flowing, delicate |
Muslin |
Cotton, hemp, polyester |
70-200 g/m2 |
Soft, thin, flexible drape |
Lace |
Silk, cotton, viscose, rayon, polyester |
50-200 g/m2 |
Soft, smooth, flowing, drapable |
Tulle and net |
Silk, cotton, viscose, rayon, polyester, nylon |
20-100 g/m2 |
Soft and silky, can be flowy or stiff |
Perforated and eyelet fabrics |
Silk, cotton, viscose, rayon, polyester, nylon |
50-200 g/m2 |
Soft and silky, can be flowy or stiff |
We turn to see-through fabrics when we want to spice up our style or add some playfulness to our wardrobe choices. Lightweight silk, linen and cotton fabrics are a pleasure to have against one’s skin, especially when the weather is getting warmer. Natural fibers are usually more expensive than synthetics, but they have a lot of advantages, too! E.g., sheer cotton fabric like voile or batiste is highly breathable and absorbent – is there anything else to dream about in summer?
The most obvious use for airy fabrics is tights and stockings. Women have been wearing them since the 1920s. Sheer materials are also used for dancewear and lingerie. These days, you see them everywhere: in office blouses and summer skirts, in wedding gowns and beachwear. They are often layered for a visually stunning effect.
White fabrics tend to be translucent even if they are not very lightweight. Check yourself in the full-length mirror when putting on white linen trousers or a cotton poplin shirt – chances are they are a bit see-through.
Handling delicate fabrics requires patience. They tend to bunch up and shift during sewing, presenting quite a challenge even for an experienced seamstress. But you can still find joy in sewing sheer materials if you follow these simple recommendations:
Any seam, dart or hem will be visible in transparent fabrics. To keep it all to a minimum, choose a pattern with a few details.
If you’re working with a slippery fabric like chiffon, tulle, silk lace or organza, try placing it between two layers of tissue paper and secure either with pins or pattern weights.
Make sure the needle and the thread you’re using are right for the fabric. Stitch a sample first. This way, you’ll be able to accommodate your sewing tools without superfluous risk. Always use sharp fine needles.
Keep your shifty fabric in place by pinning a piece of tissue paper to it. When the seam is ready, you can easily remove the stabilizing layer with your hands.
Sheer fabrics are usually very lightweight, and this fact dictates your closure choices. Opt for featherweight zippers, small buttons and tiny hooks. To make buttonholes, strengthen sheer fabric with a bit of fusible interlining.
Let’s be honest, we all love a bit of sheer from time to time. The key here is to keep it all balanced. It’s ok to say ’yes’ to transparency but remember to show your most flattering areas and cover the ones that are not your favourites.
Here are some ways to wear the sheer trend:
If you are a confident lady, go 100% sheer! Create translucent dresses, skirts, blouses and jumpsuits with featherweight chiffon and organza fabric. Such clothing is ideal for hot summer days, and it allows you to show your beautiful figure to the fullest. Plus, sheer fabrics are perfect for lingerie, slips, beachwear and pareos.
Combine various garments in one outfit to play it safe. A sheer chiffon blouse looks fabulous with an opaque skirt or pants. Turn your gaze to perforated fabrics to add some ginger to your look: use eyelet cotton voile or organdie for a summer-perfect skirt or pinafore.
For a peekaboo effect, add sheer insets into your garments. Think translucent panels and bands, sleeves, shoulders, trims, etc. Make your dress or skirt longer with a piece of sheer fabric – and skip tights altogether!
Layers of lightweight silk will add a playful note to your look. Sheer cover-ups make even the most teasing items perfectly wearable – like crop tops. If you’re not ready to fully embrace the trend, you can add a couple of layers of tulle, organza or chiffon to your opaque skirt for an airy feel.
A great way to wear sheer fabrics while keeping one’s modesty is to choose embroidered or perforated designs. They will provide greater opacity. You can also use several layers of sheer printed fabric – the effect will be the same!
The revealing trend is one of the hottest this year. From Giambattista Valli and Preen to Missoni and Simone Rocha, almost every designer has shown some skin in 2018. Wear sheer fabrics like a true fashionista in the form of:
Most fashion houses opt for extra coverage, combining sheer pieces with opaque ones. Victoria Beckham, for instance, presented see-through pencil skirts paired with long shirts, while Tom Ford teamed translucent fabrics with knickers. Sheer outerwear is also a hit, considering how many designers appealed to the theme. And the good thing about organza parkas and rain-repelling plastic coats is that they do not hide your outfit from view!
White sheer fabric is ideal for a summer wedding dress. Consider lightweight Chantilly lace, tulle or silk organza – these are just unsurpassable.
Stay on trend with the best quality see-through fabrics from a plethora of European manufacturers! Keep your eyes open for such brands as:
Why should you buy sheer fabrics at Tissura store? We always have regular collections of all the types of see-through textiles described above, many of which have been created on our special request. Moreover, Tissura attends the world's biggest and most renowned fashion exhibition Premiere Vision, where we thoroughly select only the most exquisite designs. We ship worldwide and deliver directly to your door. Finally, Tissura is always ready to meet any of your fashion ideas, as our collection of sheer fabrics includes hundreds of exclusive textiles of different types.
Silk georgette fabric, 88 US$ (71 €) per one running metre;
Ombre silk chiffon fabric, 117 US$ (95 €) per one running metre;
Silk georgette fabric, 129 US$ (105 €) per one running metre;
Flocked tulle fabric, 40 US$ (32 €) per one running metre.
Silk is a timelessly trendy natural fabric woven from the cocoons of silk worms. The world’s most famous fashion brands regularly apply it for various men’s and women’s outfits earning the admiration of the audience.
How to stay cool on a hot summer day? Wear fabrics built for the heat. Cotton, linen, viscose, silk – there are dozens of summer-friendly materials you can choose for your wardrobe. The best fabric to opt for when the temperature rises should be breathable and comfortable.
The wedding dress is one of the most important clothing items a woman gets to choose in her lifetime. It can be made of silk or cotton, lace or tulle, be strewn with sequins or embroidered with beads.