Fashion Production 101
Two threads, two totally different garments.
Before a single pattern piece gets cut, the fabric has already decided half of your design for you. Here’s how woven and knit construction actually shape fit, feel, and function — and how to pick the right one on purpose, not by accident.
What’s actually happening in the yarn
Woven fabric is built from two yarn systems, a lengthwise warp and a crosswise weft, locked over and under each other at 90 degrees on a loom. That grid is what gives woven cloth its stability: pull on it and the yarns have nowhere to go, so the fabric holds its shape and its cut lines stay put.
Knit fabric comes from one continuous yarn, looped and pulled through the loop before it, row after row, the same way a hand-knit sweater is made, just on a much faster machine. Because every loop can flex against the ones beside it, the whole fabric can stretch in multiple directions and spring back.
Woven
- Minimal stretch unless elastane is added to the yarn itself
- Frayed edges — needs seam finishing (overlock, bound, French seam)
- Holds a crisp silhouette and sharp pattern lines
- Grainline matters: cut off-grain and the garment will twist
Knit
- Stretches with the body, often 25–75% depending on structure
- Edges curl but don’t fray — many knits skip seam finishing entirely
- Drapes and moves with the wearer instead of holding a fixed shape
- No true grainline — courses (rows) and wales (columns) instead
The numbers that actually matter in production
Beyond the feel test, these are the specs that show up on a tech pack and change how a pattern is graded, cut, and sewn.
| Spec | Woven | Knit |
|---|---|---|
| Typical weight range | 100–300 GSM | 140–350 GSM |
| Stretch (4-way) | 0–5% (unless spandex blend) | 20–75% |
| Seam allowance needed | 1.5–2.5 cm | 0.6–1 cm |
| Common sewing machine | Lockstitch | Overlock / coverstitch |
| Shrinkage risk | Moderate | Higher — pre-wash before cutting |
Matching fabric to garment
The right choice usually comes down to one question: does this garment need to hold a shape, or move with a body?
Tailored blazers and trousers — structure holds the silhouette without help from the body underneath.
Poplin shirts and denim — crisp hand, sharp seams, and a fabric that keeps its printed or woven pattern undistorted.
T-shirts and base layers — stretch and recovery mean one size range fits a wider set of bodies comfortably.
Leggings and activewear — four-way stretch moves through a full range of motion without restricting it.
Sweatshirts and jersey dresses — softer drape that falls close to the body instead of standing away from it.
Outerwear shells — tighter yarn interlace resists wind and water better than an open knit structure.
When it’s not fully one or the other
Ponte, scuba, and double-knit fabrics are knit constructions engineered to behave like wovens — dense, stable, and structured enough for tailored knitwear. On a tech pack, treat any hybrid fabric by its actual behavior on the body, not by its name: test the stretch and recovery yourself before finalizing seam allowances and grading rules.