What's the difference?

[Nathan S]

I have been search the interwebs for fabric and I see different fabrics that say best for "suiting" or "apperal" what id the difference in these "Types" and what would be recomended?

[Father Bill]

What are you making?

[The Wizard of BC]

The way fabrics are advertised and listed are vague and confusing even to those of us in the garment industry.

Suiting fabrics may mean anything you would make a suit out of. This could be anything from a light weight tropical seersucker to a heavy weight wool for winter.

Apparel fabrics can mean anything. A ladies summer sundress is apparel and so is a man's winter overcoat.

Kilt fabrics are one of the rare fabrics where the weight of the fabric is listed and even this is not always standard.

It really comes down to knowing what you are going to make and finding a fabric suitable for that garment regardless of how the fabric is described.

[Nathan S]

What are you making?

I'm wanting to make a "Lesser" Kilt for work, but it is looking like time and money are not on my side. so I may settle for a belted plaid for a Renissence Fair in May

[Sir Didymous]

You will need a slightly heavier material (nothing under 10oz) for a kilt. I also would like to state that the use description has little real meaning. I find myself sometimes using fabric listed as being for upholstery to make reenactment attire. It is always something of a gamble buying what you can't inspect first hand.

[cj7ox]

Nathan S,

I just spent a couple hours in a local fabric chain store, and left more confused than when I went it. Those descriptions really are nuts! LOL!

[OC Richard]

I sometimes see nice UK-made worsted wool tartan in fairly heavy weights being sold as upholstery fabric.

Except for the selvedge it seems like it would make good kilts.

Loads of them here, just one of many sites

http://www.sprucelondon.com/fabrics/tartan-fabric.html