FABRIC 101

The Ultimate Guide to Adrianna Papell, Aidan and Aidan Mattox Fabrics

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Knowing the various kinds of textiles can make selecting your garments easier. Our fabric guide is here to help you with your style selection – from beaded mesh to velvet--so you can best determine the mood you want to create. Here, we curated a glossary of our most beloved fabrics so you can dress confidently and feel your most beautiful. 

Beaded Mesh

  • Touch & Feel: Sheer and lightweight, beaded mesh is noteworthy for its stretch and ability to drape beautifully. Styles designed with our knit mesh feature artistic, hand-applied beading and may be lined or unlined.
  • The Vibe: Chic and dramatic, you’ll be ready to make an entrance at weddings, cocktail parties or any special occasion in this opulently adorned fabric.
  • Fun Fact: Our beaded mesh dresses are expertly handcrafted and meticulously embellished with hundreds of stunning beads, bugles, paillettes and/or sequins. 

 Beaded Mesh

Beaded Mesh

  • Touch & Feel: Sheer and lightweight, beaded mesh is noteworthy for its stretch and ability to drape beautifully. Styles designed with our knit mesh feature artistic, hand-applied beading and may be lined or unlined.
  • The Vibe: Chic and dramatic, you’ll be ready to make an entrance at weddings, cocktail parties or any special occasion in this opulently adorned fabric.
  • Fun Fact: Our beaded mesh dresses are expertly handcrafted and meticulously embellished with hundreds of stunning beads, bugles, paillettes and/or sequins. 

Chiffon

  • Touch & Feel: Similar to silk, chiffon is a non-stretch fabric with an airy feel. Some modern chiffons are blended with other fabrics for a more stretch-friendly fit.
  • The Vibe: Gauzy like structure known for its lustrous and sheer appearance in solids and prints.
  • Fun Fact: Chiffon was invented in the 1930s and was solely used by the upper class as a symbol of social and economic status.

Chiffon

  • Touch & Feel: Similar to silk, chiffon is a non-stretch fabric with an airy feel. Some modern chiffons are blended with other fabrics for a more stretch-friendly fit.
  • The Vibe: Gauzy like structure known for its lustrous and sheer appearance in solids and prints.
  • Fun Fact: Chiffon was invented in the 1930s and was solely used by the upper class as a symbol of social and economic status.

Jacquard

  • Touch & Feel: Mid-heft and satin-woven, Jacquard fabric features patterns and texture. This fabrication lacks stretch.
  • The Vibe: Stylish and elegant, jacquard is beautifully tailored to highlight your shape. This fabric
    is a timeless and versatile textile that can be worn no matter the season.
  • Fun Fact: The origins of jacquard weaving date back to sixth-century Italian brocade.

Jersey

  • Touch & Feel: Simple and stretchy, jersey fabric is extremely comfortable and offered in solid, printed, and/or foiled varieties. This lightweight fabric skims the figure and drpaes beautifully on the body. Jersey is a go-to textilefor day or night beause of its versatility.
  • The Vibe: Smooth and soft, every jersey style will feel like it's the most comfortable yet.
  • Fun Fact: Jersey originated as an everyday fabric in the Middle Ages, was elevated to a fashion-forward textile in 1916 when CoCo Chanel incorported it into her collection.

Matelassé

  • Touch & Feel: Textured and offering easy stretch, Matelassé is a printed knit jacquard fabric with woven details.
  • The Vibe: Detailed and elegant, this fabric molds to the body providing comfort and easy mobility.
  • Fun Fact: The name of this fabric was adopted from the French term “matlasser” which means “to quilt.”

Metallic Crinkle Mesh

  • Touch & Feel: Textured and sparkling, metallic crinkle mesh fabric features vertical accordion-like lines that may be solid or printed. This textile can be foiled or have metallic yarns knitted throughout. Metallic crinkle mesh is often non-stretch.
  • The Vibe: Light and airy, this fabric is figure slimming, easy to move-in, and has subtle shine.
  • Fun Fact: One reason we love this textile? Metallic crinkle mesh has all of the sparkle you love with sequins without the heft or the price tag.

Metallic Knit

  • Touch & Feel: Sparkling and stretchy, metallic knit fabric is as glamorous as it is comfortable.
  • The Vibe: This figure-skimming fabric molds to the body for a close and sultry fit..
  • Fun Fact: Gold and silver fibers have been used since the age of kings and queens to denote royalty or high status.

Mikado

  • Touch & Feel: Gold and silver fibers have been used since the age of kings and queens to denote royalty or high status.
  • The Vibe: Elegant and shining, mikado can be beautifully tailored to highlight your figure. This fabric is perfect for structured looks like fit-and-flare dresses, trumpet gowns, or A-line silhouettes.
  • Fun Fact: While the fabric is historically beloved, interest in mikado exploded after Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, wore a double-bonded silk gown for her wedding day. Mikado has a similar look at a more approachable price point, hence its popularity.

Satin Jacquard

  • Touch & Feel: : Featuring texture and stretch, this fabric is made from woven satin.
  • The Vibe: Stylish, elegant, and beautifully tailored to highlight the wearer’s silhouette, stretch jacquard is perfect for any season.
  • Fun Fact: Made with a variety of yarns, this type of fabric is named after the method of how it is created - using a jacquard loom.

Satin

  • Touch & Feel: Soft and shiny, satin is a non-stretch fabric that is smooth and lightweight to the touch. This fabric drapes beautifully - perfect for showing off the figure.
  • The Vibe: Available in smooth, textured, hammered, or printed options, satin is a contemporaryand fashion-forward fabric.
  • Fun Fact: Centuries ago, satin was reserved for the garments of the upper class due to its cost and richness of look.

Satin

  • Touch & Feel: Soft and shiny, satin is a non-stretch fabric that is smooth and lightweight to the touch. This fabric drapes beautifully - perfect for showing off the figure.
  • The Vibe: Available in smooth, textured, hammered, or printed options, satin is a contemporaryand fashion-forward fabric.
  • Fun Fact: Centuries ago, satin was reserved for the garments of the upper class due to its cost and richness of look.

Satin Crepe

  • Touch & Feel: Soft and smooth, this non-stretch yet breathable fabric has the mid-weight of crepe.
  • The Vibe: Satin Crepe is double sided offering the shine of satin on one side and the matte texture of crepe on the other. This textile is drapable to create elegant looks that showcase the wearer's silhouette.
  • Fun Fact: Satin Crepe is not an easy fabric to work with and takes the hand of an experienced designer. When utilized properly, this fabric drapes the figure glamorously, evoking a vintage look. It’s no surprise that celebrities and their stylists love to choose gowns crafted from this fabric for red-carpet events.

Stretch Chiffon

  • Touch & Feel: All the style of chiffon with more of the elasticity, stretch chiffon fabric has an opaque appearance.
  • The Vibe: Stretch chiffon is a drapable fabric that enhances the shape and can be offered in solid, printed, and textured varieties.
  • Fun Fact: While stretch chiffon is flattering, versatile, and easy to wear, it is important to follow the care instructions for this fabric to ensure it remains as beautiful as the day you bought it.

Stretch Crepe

  • Touch & Feel: Light to medium in weight, this fabric is smooth and stretches easily for a comfortable and effortless look.
  • The Vibe: Stretch crepe molds easily to the body and slims the figure for a modern look. This textile drapes well and is a beautiful choice for party or formal dresses. Mostly wrinkle-free – this fabric is also great for day dresses as they require little to no ironing.
  • Fun Fact: Originally made from silk and historically made to be worn by women in mourning, modern crepe now most commonly is created from cotton or wool knits.

Stretch Mikado

  • Touch & Feel: Crafted from a twill knit, this dense fabric has all the shine of classic mikado with comfortable stretch.
  • The Vibe: Stretch mikado is an easy fabric to tailor for a feminine silhouette. While structured and able to hold its shape, this textile will stretch. It’s high-shine finish adds a glamorous touch making it perfect for cocktail dresses and evening gowns.
  • Fun Fact: Exuding royal details, this fabric is a go-to for brides and celebrities alike.

Stretch Taffeta

        • Touch & Feel: Smooth with subtle sheen, this fabric has a fine, plain weave. While this fabric does stretch, the level of elasticity varies by style. See the fabric meter on every product page for exact stretch level for each style.
          The Vibe:           Stretch taffeta easily molds to the body creating a full and dramatic shape.
          Fun Fact:           One of the most luxurious fabrics known to man, Taffeta comes in a wide range of knits that vary by use - like stretch taffeta which is made for comfortable wear.

Stretch Satin

  • Touch & Feel: With the silky feel and lustrous shine of satin, this lightweight fabric has stretch for ease and comfort.
  • The Vibe: Stretch satin is a contemporary fabric that drapes beautifully, but doesn’t constrict the wearer like traditional satin.
  • Fun Fact: First woven by the Silk weavers in China, modern satin, like stretch satin, has many different weaves - each with a different use.

Stretch Velvet

  • Touch & Feel: Offering subtle shine and soft to the touch, stretch velvet is designed to mold to the body while remaining comfortable. This fabric has great stretch recovery and will maintain its shape.
  • The Vibe: Comfortable and luxurious, stretch velvet is perfect for draping and is available in solids, prints, burnouts, and metallic knits.
  • Fun Fact: While traditional velvet is woven from silk, it can also be created from many other fibers - including those with elasticity like that of stretch velvet. This gives you all the luxury of velvet without the constricting nature of the traditional textile.

Taffeta

          • Touch & Feel: Fine and crisp, this non-stretch fabric has a plain weave with a smooth surface and subtle sheen.
            The Vibe:             Taffeta creates a full and dramatic look making it perfect for more structured designs.
            Featuring a lustrous shine, this fabric is perfect for cocktail and formal dresses.
            Fun Fact:             Persian for “twisted woven,” Taffeta originated in Baghdad in the 12th century.

Velvet

  • Touch & Feel: Sumptuous and buttery, velvet fabric is soft to the touch and does not stretch.
  • The Vibe: Lustrous and rich, velvet is a warm fabric that shines as an evening gown for formalor black-tie events.
  • Fun Fact: Dating back to 2000 BCE and originating in Egypt, velvet is known as the fabric of royals and aristocrats.

With an unwavering focus on the science and craft of fit, shape and artisanal details, our products make women of all types and sizes feel beautiful.