Fabric 101: Shirting

Shirting is a category of fabric that is used to make standard button-up shirts and similar-weight garments. It’s typically made out of cotton fabric (but can be made out of polyester, rayon, or other blends as well) and is slightly more lightweight and less stiff than standard quilting cotton fabric.

Shirting can also be made to create other types of garments that need fabric with some structure. It can be used for A-line skirts and dresses, as well as light jackets or outerwear. It’s not suitable for any style that requires a heavy or flowy drape, and may sometimes require a lining layer if the shirting is not fully opaque.

Fabric	Shirting
Texture?	Soft, cotton-like texture, sometimes brushed on one side (flannel shirting)
Heavy or light?	Medium weight fabric
Stiff or drape?	Fairly stiff drape
Nap?	Sometimes one side is brushed
Typical fiber content?	Usually cotton, but it can be made from any fiber
Opaque or sheer?	Typically opaque, but occasionally it can be semi-sheer
Shiny?	Usually no shine
Fraying?	It frays, but it’s not the type of fabric that feels like it will disintegrate while you’re still sewing
Pilling?	Some types of shirting are prone to pilling
Cool or warm weather?	Good for garments made for any type of weather
What to make?	Button-up shirts, structured shirts dresses or skirts, and light jackets
What needle to use?	Standard universal needles, usually a size 80

What kind of fabric is shirting?

Shirting is the name given to a category of fabric that is used to create (you guessed it!) shirts. Not T-shirts (those are made with jersey fabric), but button-up shirts and nice business or business-casual style shirts.

Shirting is not the name given to any particular type of weave but is instead a general term used for material that’s fairly structured and medium weight. You don’t have to make shirts with it, that’s just the most common usage.

The material is known for being comfortable to the touch with a stiff drape (but not overly boxy). Most shirting is pretty durable, made with a plain weave, and able to withstand daily wear. It’s usually made from cotton or some type of cotton and polyester blend, but you can find it made from just about any type of fiber.

There are many different types of fabric that fall under the shirting categorization. Some of the most common you’ll find are poplin, broadcloth, flannel, and chambray but this is by no means an exhaustive list.

What can you make with shirting fabric?

Most of the time shirting is used for button-up shirts and structured shirt styles. However, since the fabric is defined by its structure and weight, you can also use it for other types of garments with a somewhat stiff drape. Structured dresses, A-line skirts, light jackets, and even some lightweight pants can be made with shirting.

Properties of shirting fabric

• Texture: Most shirting has a standard cotton texture. It’s soft and smooth without feeling like plastic. Some shirting fabric is brushed on one or both sides. This will give it a more significant fuzzy texture (like flannel fabric).
• Flexibility: Most shirting fabric does not have any significant give. It’s flexible enough to make shirts and garments comfortable but does not have any kind of stretch. Occasionally the material will have a small percentage of spandex included in the fiber (usually 5%). This will allow the fabric to have a small amount of give to it, due to the elastic fibers.
• Weight: Shirting is a medium-weight category of fabric.
• Drape: Shirting describes a category of stiff and structured fabric. You’re not going to be able to make a flowing skirt out of it, but a full-bodied skirt or dress is fully possible.
• Fiber composition: Most shirting is made from cotton fiber or a cotton blend. However, shirting can be made from linen, rayon, silk, or any other type of fiber as well.
• Opacity: Due to the medium-weight weave, shirting is usually opaque. However, some types of shirting are purposefully made to be semi-sheer (some light-colored shirting), and some low-quality shirting will also be semi-sheer due to the looser weave of the fibers.
• Shine: Most types of shirting are not shiny. They usually have that typical matte cotton look and texture. However, some types of shirting will have a sheen or shine to them (such as sateen fabric).
• Fraying: Most shirting will not fray too badly. Of course, it will fray over time if you don’t finish your seams, but it’s generally not the type of material that is a problem while you are still sewing the fabric and constructing your garments.
• Durability: Most shirting is fairly durable. Since it’s such a broad category of fabric, it’s hard to say for sure, but most shirting fabrics are made to withstand everyday wear and tear.
• Wrinkling: Most shirting wrinkles fairly easily since cotton is the most common fiber used. Polyester shirting, or shirting with a blend of polyester won’t wrinkle as readily.
• Breathability: The breathability of shirting fabrics depends on the type of fiber used. Cotton, or rayon material makes it breathable and comfortable to wear in the summer, while polyester shirting tends to be a lot less breathable.

How to sew with shirting fabric

Shirting is usually a pretty easy fabric to sew with, especially standard cotton shirting. The structure and weight keep the fabric from slipping around, and you don’t need to worry about it stretching or fraying too much. If you’re just learning how to sew, this is an excellent type of fabric to start with.

You can use a standard or universal needle when sewing with shirting material. These are the needles that your sewing machine probably came with. Size 80 is the most common size needle used, but size 90 is also appropriate for shirting fabric, especially if it’s on the slightly thicker side.

How to care for shirting fabric

Shirting is a type of fabric that is pretty easy to care for. It can be washed in a standard washing machine and doesn’t even need any delicate settings. Cotton is also a pretty durable fiber that can stand up to the heat of an iron.