10 Types of Fabric to Use for Winter Clothing
The best fabrics for winter clothing will provide insulation as well as durability to effectively keep you warm in the cold weather. This can include cozy knit fabrics or heavier weight woven fabrics for coats and outerwear that have better wind-breaking properties.
When choosing fabrics for winter clothing, it’s important to consider factors such as layering potential and comfort against the skin. By understanding the various types of fabrics suited for winter wear, you can create functional and fashionable pieces that keep you warm and cozy throughout the season.
1. Bouclé
Bouclé is a distinctive type of fabric that is known for its unique curled and looped yarns, which give it a nubby texture you can feel and see. When you’re considering a fabric like bouclé, picture something like cozy sweaters – the sort of clothing that feels like a warm embrace on a chilly day.
- Bouclé can be used for Sweaters, coats and outerwear, upholstery, winter suits, skirts, and dresses
2. Corduroy
Corduroy is a durable type of woven fabric that is known for its vertical ridges with a soft velveteen texture. It is thick and sturdy with a stiff drape that is well-suited for bottom-weight apparel. The ridges on corduroy (known as wales) add considerable thickness to it, making it a good choice for warm-weather attire.
- Corduroy can be used for pants, overalls, coats, blazers, structured skirts or dresses, and some home decor (pillows, upholstery)
3. Denim
Denim is a sturdy and adaptable fabric made from cotton fibers. It uses a diagonal twill weave that makes the fabric quite durable. The sturdiness of denim makes it long-lasting, allowing it to withstand the test of time and last through daily wear and tear, while also maintaining some flexibility so that it can be comfortable to wear.
- Denim is most often used for jeans, heavy-duty pants, and denim jackets, but it can be used for a wide range of apparel and home decor.
4. Flannel
Flannel is a type of woven fabric that has a napped, fuzzy surface on one or both sides of the fabric. It’s known for being a cozy and soft, yet durable material that is insulating and will comfortably keep you warm in the autumn and winter. The fabric manages to be warm while still being somewhat breathable. This prevents it from being too overbearing even in early fall weather, but also suitable for layering in winter clothing.
- Flannel can be used for button-up shirts, jackets, coats, pajamas, bedding, pillows, cozy clothing
5. French Terry
French Terry is an extremely comfortable and cozy knit fabric that is excellent for cold-weather loungewear. It is created with a looped yarn texture on the reverse face of the material, while the front face is smooth and soft. The fabric is generally quite breathable, yet still manages to have good insulating properties
- French Terry can be used for sweaters, hoodies, warm leggings, sweatpants, cardigans, long-sleeved T-shirts
6. Heavy Jacquards
Jacquard is a type of fabric that is created with a design woven directly into the fabric. While it can be made with fabrics of any weight, jacquard is often used to create heavy upholstery-weight and home decor fabrics. So you’ll usually find it in rather stiff heavyweight materials.
- Jacquard is frequently used for upholstery items (drapes, duvets, pillows, bedding), and decorative elements in clothing such as vests, ties, and sashes.
7. Polar Fleece
The thickest types of fleece fabric have excellent insulating properties while also being known for being extra cozy and soft. Heavier fleece materials, such as polar fleece, also have slightly better moisture-wicking properties than thinner types. This makes it better at keeping you dry as well as warm.
- Heavy fleece can be used for coats, jackets, winter accessories, blankets, stuffed animals
8. Sweater Knits
Sweater knits are a general category of knit fabrics that are soft, often cozy, and designed to provide warmth and comfort. Many sweater knit fabrics are constructed to try to mimic the appearance and texture of a hand-knitted sweater, but sweater knits come in various patterns and textures, from chunky cable knits to jersey knits. Sweater knits also usually have some level of stretch, making them highly comfortable to wear.
- Sweater knits can be used for sweaters, jackets, cardigans, hats, dresses, some skirts, blankets
9. Heavy Twills
Twill is the overarching name for a family of fabrics that use the twill weave when they are constructed. It’s a diagonal, durable weave that makes a dense fabric with a high thread count. Because of this, most types of twill will be thick and sturdy bottom-weight material.
- Twill is most often used for pants, blazers, coats, heavy skirts, and bags.
10. Velour and velveteen
Think of velveteen as velvet’s durable, more structured cousin. Velveteen’s construction involves a weave that typically gives it a firm texture and a more matte appearance compared to velvet.
Velour is the knit version with stretching capabilities that make it more comfortable to wear. It also tends to be more durable and useful for everyday clothing
- Velveteen is mainly used for upholstery or for structured clothing, like coats, while velour is more often used for tracksuits, hoodies, and loungewear.
