When it comes to the best fabric for underwear, it will all depend on your….desired usage, if you know what I mean. From sexy babydolls to the more practical slips for defining your shape, lingerie can be worn alone or as underwear. Making your own underwear is an empowering sewing project, especially as you get to make something perfectly fitted to your unique figure. When you have the best fabrics for underwear, the right pattern and your own custom printed fabric, your lingerie game just got a whole lot more exciting.
Why Make Your Own Underwear?
Sometimes, you think you’ve found the ultimate bra and knickers set. They seem like everything you want from underwear. But when you’re in the changing rooms, it’s just not right. Maybe the cup is slightly too big, the nightie you thought was perfect hugs your hips a little bit more than you’d like, or the fabric feels irritable on your skin. At the end of the day, we want to feel beautiful and comfortable, and high street shops can’t always strike that balance. When you make your own lingerie garments, you’re in complete control of the look and feel, creating something that is made especially for you.
The best fabrics for underwear can range from floaty, luxurious fabrics such as Lucent Satin, Organza and Florence Net, to the more practical and cosy materials like Mulmul, Cotton Satin and Jersey. All of which are going to feel delicate and smooth against your skin, draping where they ought to drape and fitting your form how they should.
Choosing your type of lingerie material will all depend on what you’re making. Here’s a few staples every woman should have in her lingerie repertoire:
- Classic Slip – figure hugging dresses can be revealing, but with a classic slip underneath you can achieve that flawless silhouette and defintion in your shape.
- Babydoll – Granted, the babydoll is way too fussy and fancy to wear underneath clothing, but we all know it’s not really for that. Sexy with a flattering cut, it adds excitement to your evening routine.
- Romper Suit – Now we’ve got the balance between flirty and comfortable. The playsuit style romper is the perfect compromise if you want to feel glam but also just want to chill out.
- Lace Bodysuit – The versatile lace bodysuit is a must. Not only can you wear alone and feel like an absolute goddess, but you can also team with a pair of jeans for a demure evening outfit.
- Robe – When you step out of the shower, you should be stepping into a gorgeously soft and comfortable robe. Whether it’s made from a sultry silk satin or a warming jersey knit, it’s a lingerie essential.
Best Fabrics for Underwear
The following types of fabric are for both the body of your underwear and also trimmings, applique and other decorative touches you want to add. Remember to consider your material very carefully, to ensure that it is the right one for your perfect lingerie garment.
Lucent Satin
Lucent Satin is a beautifully light, soft and shimmery fabric that is ideal for making babydolls and flirty nighties. The high lustre face catches the light, making it perfect for intensifying those intimate evening moments. Weighing 120gsm, it’s cool to touch and effortlessly slips over your skin, feeling delicate and graceful.
- Double faced sateen
- Shimmery face
- Elegant drape
- Lightweight and fluid
- Soft and shiny
Silk Impression
Silk Impression is a demure fabric that’s perfect for lingerie making as it’s both incredibly lightweight (80gsm) and durable. It almost feels weightless, effortlessly gliding over your skin without any friction. The front and back textures are the same, being soft, silky and cool to the touch. It has a shimmery face and is semi-translucent, producing an elegant, slightly faded print. Therefore, it’s one of the best fabrics for underwear items such as panties, nighties and babydolls, due to the glamourous silk appearance.
- Shimmery face
- Silky and cool to touch
- Holds shape well
- Super lightweight
- Semi-transparent
Cotton Satin
Cotton Satin is 100% natural, so is incredibly soft to touch. And even though it has a matt finish, the face is smooth and feels a delight against the skin. It drapes elegantly, and would be ideal to make a classy chemise or cute pyjama set. Natural cotton is always a beautiful material to wear, thanks to the breathable properties and cool touch.
- 100% real cotton
- Smooth handle
- Soft to touch
- Reflects & absorbs light
- Close weave
Mulmul Soft Muslin
Not every fabric used for underwear needs to be sexy and glam, but the mulmul muslin is sultry in its own unique way. The sheer-like quality and semi-transparency make it perfect for a ‘barely there’ chemise or nightdress. It’s incredibly soft, and has an almost brushed surface, making it a delight to wear on an evening.
- Net-like open weave
- Light and transparent
- Soft and loose
- Rustic aesthetic
- Strong and durable
Jersey
The springy, stretchy nature of Jersey make it an ideal type of fabric for creating supportive garments such as panties or slips. Not only this but because it moves with the body it’s ideal as ordinary comfort loungewear. There’s many different weights to choose from, depending on your desired usage. Jerseys are knitted, providing warmth and a cosy softness you wouldn’t get from Lycra. Fabrics for underwear are so versatile, so you could even use a jersey to make a gathered babydoll or lightweight robe.
- Stretchy with good recovery
- Breathable
- Slight absorbancy
- Quick drying
- Crease resistant
Organza
Sheer and transparent with a touch of sparkle, Organza is a beutiful fabric to use to add decorative notes to your lingerie. Add shaped motifs that subtly catch the light, or why not add a petticoat layer to your babydoll? Organza is sheer with an ethereal aesthetic, making it a perfect material for lingerie. It can bring a slight firmness without adding any weight, ideal for under garments.
- Sheer, floaty drape
- Net-like construction
- Hint of sparkle
- Transparent
- Smooth and soft all over
Florence Net
Fine and fragile looking Florence Net might be but it’s anything from the truth. This power net fabric is super strong and durable. With a 4 way stretch, there’s so much movement making it perfect for making knickers. Finished with a lace trim to add support and structure, Florence Net knickers are so weightless and comfortable. Transparent and breathable, it’s perfectly suited to lingerie. Totally fluid, slipping over your body like water, you won’t even know you’re wearing them. You could also make a chemise or underlay for other underwear garments.
- Super stretchy
- Transparent with fluid drape
- Lightweight and breathable
- Gentle on the skin
- Non-fray knitted net
Feeling inspired to make your own underwear? Then make sure you make something totally unique and customised to you and your style. Design your own lingerie fabric for a bespoke bedroom experience and feel gorgeous in your very own handmade undergarments. This is only a handful of our selection, so click on the banner below and discover the full range.
Thank you for this article! I was doing some research for a writing project, and a character is creating lingerie. This helped me determine some materials they would work with and understand them better.
Which fabrics would be best in humid climate to help with modesty, but not make you hotter? Need a slip for modesty but not hold in body heat.
Thank you for this article! I was doing some research on different kinds of fabric for the underwear I bought from Bebrief.com. This helped me determine some different fabrics. I understood better.
Greetings, About the jersey… there are different blends. and the easy with which they are sewn to lace is different too. Can you elaborate how details such as lace interact with the different fabrics?
Hi have you got a website? Do you sell lingerie fabrics? Knicker fabric?
Hi Diane, you can find our selection of lingerie fabrics here: https://www.contrado.co.uk/lingerie-fabrics 🙂