Voile Fabric: Properties, Uses and Care

Similar to lace, organza, and muslin, Voile is a versatile fabric and may be used for a wide variety of garments, including veils, scarves, summer dresses, and underskirts/lingerie due to its softness and ease of dying. They might even make it to the catwalks of the world’s major fashion capitals.

Due to its translucence, voile fabric is typically layered over an opaque fabric to create a decorative overlay for garments like dresses and skirts; however, numerous layers of voile can be sewn together to create a single, fully transparent fabric.

Let’s look at some features of voile fabric. 

Voile Fabrics Explained

Voile Fabric

Voile fabric is a simple, softly woven sheer fabric primarily made of cotton. Cotton, linen, polyester, and synthetic materials are common ingredients in voile fabric, but you’ll also find varieties that are entirely cotton.

The thread count in Voile is higher than that of other cotton fabrics, giving the fabric a soft, silky touch and making it so breathable that it keeps you cool on the hottest days.

The word “voile” has french roots, which translates to “veil” in English. Voile fabric is comparable to other types of sheer fabric, such as tulle and organza, in its lightweight, partly sheer, and airy characteristics, making it perfect for summer garments. Typically, they are used as sheer cover-ups in the summertime because of this lightweight feature. 

Since voile fabric is lightweight, it can also be used as a lining in clothing and as a layer in certain window treatments. The versatility of voile fabric means it creates a wide range of garments for both sexes.

Voile fabric is also hypoallergenic and can be worn with any outfit. Individuals with sensitive skin would not have a problem with wearing this fabric.

Due to their similar characteristics, such as their silky smooth feel and crispness, many people frequently mistake voile fabric for cotton lawn and batiste textiles. However, compared to voile fabric, lawn fabric is less transparent, and batiste is even more sheer, silky, and finer than voile fabric. 

How Is Voile Fabric Produced

Voile fabric is simply produced by the plain weave technique, which is conceptually similar to the rudimentary basket weave technique. The plain weave is a grid pattern in which the horizontal (or weft) yarns float freely above and below the vertical (or warp) strands.

The fabric is basically woven by passing the weft yarns through a series of shutters that move in and out of the warp yarns. 

The resulting voile fabric can be airy or substantial based on the thread count. Even at a high thread count, the plain weaving technique used to make voile fabric keeps it looking semi-transparent.

Historically, voile fabric was woven from long-filament natural fibers like cotton, linen, and wool. The fibers were combed and then tightly twisted to achieve the fabric’s characteristic stiffness and subtle sheen.

Manufacturers of modern voile fabric often use a variety of synthetic fabrics and other long filament fibers besides cotton. 

Voile fabric’s signature rise is a result of the fabric’s yarns being 

Voile fabrics are extremely tightly twisted and are substantially more twisted than regular yarns. However, while possessing a greater degree of twist than regular yarns, they are less twisted than crepe fabric yarns.

Twisted yarns, made into singles, are then plied to create a rounded yarn. This material is then refashioned into 2-ply yarns, and two single yards are combined in the same twist direction to make a sturdy yarn.

Afterward, the yarn is woven into thread for voile fabric production.

History Of Voile Fabric

The word “veil,” wherein the term “voile” is derived from, has its roots in the French language.

During the 1990s, voile textiles increasingly took the place of net curtains, which were no longer fashionable at the time. As technology progressed, weavers produced more sophisticated weaves, which led to voile clothing featuring exquisite designs being a prominent trend in the fashion industry.

The use of voile fabric is now comparable to any other type of fabric in the modern world. In fact, from the early 1900s through to the present, its petticoat-friendly soft yet firm touch has made it a classic fabric choice and a very popular haute couture fabric. 

The bulk of the Voile produced presently comes from Asia, notably China.

Voile Fabric Types

Creased Voile Curtain

You’ll commonly find voile fabric in clothing and textile stores, which are quite easy to identify. Here are some types of voile fabric that you’ll see.

  • Cotton voile fabric

Cotton voile is great for making tops and other clothing for children since it is lightweight and airy. However, the fabric wrinkles more easily than synthetic types and are more expensive.

It’s also simple to add decorative touches to the fabric, such as smocking, pintucks, and embroidery, by weaving on trims and embellishments. One can create beautiful summer outfits from printed cotton voile.

  • Synthetic Voile fabric

The synthetic materials used in synthetic voile fabric production, like wood or hydrocarbons, give it strength and durability not found in natural Voile. Without compromising their aesthetic value, these materials have a higher capacity for color absorption. Because of this, they are frequently used to create items like swags of colorful scarves.

  • Swiss Voile fabric

Swiss Voile, a popular voile fabric for dressmaking, is woven from 100% pure Swiss cotton.

The fabric is known for its luxurious softness and is a beautiful semi-opaque cloth with a light crinkle texture.

Swiss Voile is versatile enough for anything from curtains to costumes, tablecloths to twirling skirts.

  • Polyester Voile fabric

Polyester voile is also available in a wider variety of vibrant colors and designs than cotton voile, and it has a little crisper texture and excellent drape. Since polyester voile is semi-transparent, its little sheen enhances the fabric’s already delicate appearance. 

  • Crushed Voile 

Crushed Voile fabric is a very soft and lightweight woven kind of voile fabric. Its lightness makes it ideal for use in soft furnishings, where it mimics synthetic fabrics like chiffon. 

  • Sheer Voile

Voile fabric is ideal for sheer drapery and adds a touch of class to any room. Soft furniture like cushions, squabs, and quilted bedspreads also look great when made from sheer voile fabric.

Average Prices Of Voile Fabric

Voile fabric is an excellent choice if you require fabric types that won’t break the bank and come in various colors and patterns.

The price of the voile fabric is ultimately determined by the quality of the blend or weave used to produce it.

Cotton and other natural variations are noticeably more comfortable to use than their synthetic counterparts; however, natural variations tend to wear out more quickly. This also contributes in somewhat way to the fabric price. 

Cotton voile often sells for a yard price between $10 and $15.

Some Applications Of Voile Fabric

In recent times, it’s become quite tasking to find a store that doesn’t stock something made from the increasingly popular voile fabric, typically used to make summer and springtime clothing. 

Beyond clothing, the fabric is used for other purposes too. Let’s see some of them.

  • Daily clothing 

There is a greater prevalence of voile fabric in women’s clothing than in men’s. Because of its soft and refined texture, this fabric is frequently used for veils, nightgowns, gowns, lingerie, scarves, and dresses.

Producing hats and other headwear from Voile fabric is also very common. However, casual wear is much more common with this fabric than formal wear.

  • Home decor fabric

For its sheerness, voile fabric is often used as the ideal drapery material, and it also has many other applications in the home textiles industry. With its exquisite patterning, Voile is a perfect choice for fabric ornamentation, creating fabrics that define interior decorating. 

The versatile fabric also has many potential applications around the house, from clothing to window treatments to table linens.

  • Beddings

Voile fabric is greatly used in bedding and can also be used to make certain types of curtains and draperies. You can find voile curtains made of either 100 percent cotton or a cotton-synthetic fiber blend. 

Pillowcases, coverings, blankets, and sheets can all be made from voile fabric.

Some Care Tips For Voile Fabrics 

Since most voile fabrics are made from 100 percent cotton, taking good care of them will extend their lifespan and help maintain the fabric’s lushness. 

You can follow these tips. 

  • Cleaning voile fabric is easy; simply use your hands and a mild detergent. You can also use the washing machine by setting it on the delicate cycle and the cold water setting.
  • You should always program the lowest heat setting possible when drying your clothes in the dryer. Air drying is another option; simply hang it using a rust-proof hanger and keep it out of direct sunlight. Doing so could fade the colors and fade the fibers.
  • You can lightly dampen the fabric if you want to stretch the fabric. However, you should gently stretch the fabric to return to its original dimensions without losing shape.
  • Iron your voile fabric carefully, using a press cloth and a low heat setting. Washing and ironing at high temperatures will most likely cause the cloth to deteriorate. Also, stitching the raw edges of the fabric prevents it from fraying or unraveling after washing.

Leave a comment