Crepe, Jersey, Chiffon: A Fabric Guide for Eveningwear

This fabric guide covers the three cloths that do most of the work in eveningwear. Crepe is a woven fabric with a fine, grainy surface that drapes well and resists creasing; jersey is a knitted fabric that stretches and moves with the body; chiffon is a sheer, lightweight weave that floats. Choose crepe for dresses and tailoring, jersey for comfort and easy shapes, and chiffon for sleeves, overlays and anything meant to move.

Knowing the difference helps you judge quality in a shop, choose the right size and care for the piece once it is home.

Why a fabric guide matters for eveningwear

Evening clothes are cut closer, worn under warmer lights and photographed more than daywear. Fabric decides how a dress hangs when you stand, whether it creases when you sit through a three-course dinner, and how it looks in a picture. Two dresses in the same cut can look entirely different in crepe and in jersey.

The label tells you the fibre (silk, wool, viscose, polyester). It rarely tells you the construction, which matters just as much. This fabric guide focuses on construction.

Crepe: the evening workhorse

What is crepe fabric?

Crepe is a woven fabric with a slightly crinkled, matt surface. The texture usually comes from very tightly twisted yarns which relax after weaving and make the surface pucker, though a special weave or finish can create a similar effect. Crepe can be made from silk, wool, viscose or polyester, and it ranges from light, fluid crêpe de chine to heavier, more structured wool crepe.

It has a long history in evening and cocktail dressing. The V&A's account of Chanel's work describes the black crêpe de chine dress that American Vogue predicted in 1926 would be worn by the whole world, and the way it could move from day to evening.

How it wears

• Drape: excellent, especially in silk and viscose. Heavier crepes hold a clean line for tailored dresses and trousers.
• Creasing: low. The grainy surface hides small creases, which makes crepe good for travel and long evenings.
• Weak points: some crepes shrink if washed, because the twisted yarns tighten up again in water. Check the care label.

Choose crepe for a black dress you will wear for years, wide trousers, or a slip dress cut on the bias. The bias cut, which Madeleine Vionnet is credited with developing, lets fabric stretch and fall along the body's curves, as the FIT Fashion History Timeline entry on her 1936 Carnival Dress explains. Crepe's drape suits that cut well.

Jersey fabric: comfort with movement

What jersey is

Jersey fabric is knitted rather than woven, built from rows of interlocking loops. That structure gives it natural stretch and recovery. Single jersey is light and stretchy with a smooth face; double jersey is knitted on two sets of needles, which makes it thicker, more stable and less likely to curl at the edges.

For a long time jersey was considered too humble for fashion. According to the V&A, it was used mainly for men's underwear and sportswear before Chanel made it fashionable, and one of her earliest surviving garments is a silk jersey blouse from 1916, inspired by sailors' pullovers.

How it wears

• Drape: fluid and close to the body. Fine jersey clings; heavier jersey skims.
• Creasing: almost none, which is why jersey dresses travel so well.
• Weak points: it can pill where it rubs, grow longer if hung, and show every line underneath when it is very thin.

Choose jersey for wrap dresses, draped tops and pieces you want to wear for a long evening without thinking about them. Store jersey folded so it keeps its length.

Chiffon fabric: lightness and air

What chiffon is

Chiffon fabric is a sheer, lightweight plain weave. As the Wikipedia entry on chiffon) explains, it is woven from alternating S-twist and Z-twist crepe yarns, which give it a slight grip and a little give. The name comes from the French chiffe, meaning a rag or piece of cloth. It was first made in silk; nylon chiffon followed in 1938 and polyester chiffon in 1958.

How it wears

• Drape: floating and soft. It moves with the smallest breeze.
• Creasing: moderate; silk chiffon creases more than polyester.
• Weak points: it frays easily and is slippery to sew, so quality pieces use narrow French or bound seams. It also snags.

Choose chiffon for sleeves, overlays, scarves and layered skirts. For sheer blouses, our guide to sheer tops styling explains what to wear underneath.

How to choose between them

If you only remember one part of this fabric guide, make it this quick way to decide:

1. You want a clean, structured line: crepe, in a medium or heavy weight.
2. You want comfort and stretch: jersey, ideally double jersey for a smoother finish.
3. You want movement and transparency: chiffon, lined or layered where you need cover.
4. You want texture and romance: consider lace, which our guide to types of lace covers in detail.

Many evening pieces combine fabrics: a crepe bodice with chiffon sleeves, or a jersey slip under a lace dress. Look at how they meet. Good finishing at the join is one of the clearest signs of quality.

Caring for crepe, jersey and chiffon

Always follow the label. In general, silk crepe and silk chiffon are safest with a dry cleaner, polyester versions can often be hand washed in cool water, and jersey usually tolerates a gentle wash but should dry flat. Our guide to dry clean or hand wash explains how to read each symbol.

To see how Notte & Noir works with fabric, read about how we make our pieces.