Choosing Fabric - Guidance From The Garment District By S. Bambi
The first ‘Color Wheel’ of fabrics!
More than 90 of the most common fabrics and 25 fibers found in a typical New York City fabric store are organized into cross-compatible spectrums of movement and weight, making it easier than ever to browse the diversity of the Garment District wherever you are.
Curated fabrics for every project include atypical options as well as a generous range of classic textiles. An introduction to fabric in the first pages also creates a shared vocabulary around fabric, fiber and stretch essential for buying and using fabric.
If you’ve ever been intimidated or overwhelmed in a fabric store, or searching for fabric online; if you love fashion and fabric but don’t have time to go to fashion school; if you’re serious about interior design and want to take your upholstery and soft interior fabrics to the next level: this is the reference tool for you.
How can I order 1/2 yard increments?
Our website doesn't support fractional quantities, but we do sell in ¼-yard increments after our 1-yard minimum. If you’d like to place an order with fractional yardage, just email us at info@primefabrics.com with the SKUs and exact amounts you need — we’ll get back to you with a custom order link as soon as possible.
What can I expect from a swatch?
Swatches are meant to give you a sense of the color, texture, and weight of the fabric. They typically do not show the full pattern or motif, especially for large-scale prints. Swatch sizes vary depending on the fabric, but are generally between 3"×5" and 5"×7". We do our best to include all colors present in the fabric, however, this is not always possible. Swatch prices vary based on the price of the fabric itself.
Why don’t you always list full fabric specs like fiber content, GSM, or abrasion ratings?
Many of our fabrics are deadstock, meaning they come from leftover rolls originally produced for designers or mills — often without any documentation. Because of that, technical details like GSM (weight), abrasion resistance, or exact fiber contents aren’t always available.
When we don’t have verified content, we do a burn test in-house to identify the general fibers (like wool, silk, polyester, etc.), but we never guess percentages. We’d rather give you less information than wrong information.
We’re committed to providing as much detail as we can — and if you're ever unsure about a fabric, we always recommend ordering a swatch or reaching out for guidance.
For the full list of FAQs, please click here.
Orders are processed and shipped out within 1-2 business days. Estimated delivery dates can be seen at checkout. For more details on our shipping policy, please visit this page: shipping policy
We cannot accept returns once the fabric has been cut. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns before you purchase! We recommend ordering a swatch before purchasing yardage.
For more details on our return policy, please visit this page: return policy
Choosing Fabric - Guidance From The Garment District by S. Bambi