What is the Best Fabric for Curtains?

Easily, fabric tops the list of drapery essentials. You can have the finest seamstresses in town and windows worth a magazine spread, and still miss the mark if the curtain fabric falls short, because the fabric isn’t a finishing touch but the very foundation: it decides how light enters, how prying eyes stay out, how the room holds its warmth, and just as importantly, how the room feels. So, what is the best fabric for curtains? For most rooms, it’s a medium-weight, tightly woven fabric that drapes softly and holds its shape, such as a linen or cotton blend, cotton, or a richly textured polyester. Velvet and silk (or faux silk) shine in formal rooms, while light cottons and linens suit kitchens and baths. Read on for our stylists’ favorite tips on choosing the right material for your custom curtains and drapes, fabric by fabric.

The Fundamentals of a Drapery Fabric

The highlight feature of curtains and drapes is their fluidity and sumptuousness—their soft undulations that add texture, depth, and rhythm to the room’s interiors. The ideal fabric, then, is one that hones this treasured gift of richly pleated, beautifully rippled contours. And this depends on a combination of factors, including the fabric’s weight, weave, and dimensional stability:

• Weight: Curtains look elegant when they gather and fall gracefully. For this, the fabric ought to be ‘drapable’, that is, be heavy enough to hold shape, form pleats, and fall straight down due to its own weight.

• Weave: The fabric must have a structured weave so that it can be tailored into pleats or folds.

• Non-stretchability: The fabric must be dimensionally stable, meaning that it should not stretch and shrink with usage, weather, or passage of time; otherwise, the curtains will not be able to maintain their finished length.

All these prerequisites are fully met in drapery-weight fabrics—they are flexible enough to drape and structured enough to hold shape. Light fabrics are supported with a lining to make up for their lack of weight, with sheer curtains being a valid exception. Our sheer and semi-sheer curtains have a chain weight sewn along the hem instead, which helps them hang straight.

Over and above these fundamental qualities expected of drapery fabrics, there are a host of additional qualities you may look for, like breathability, durability, wrinkle-resistance, colorfastness, hypoallergenic properties, quick-dry features, and so on. Depending on your functional requirements, mood, and aesthetic preferences, your list of desirable traits for the drapery fabric will vary from room to room.

A Close Look at Each Fabric’s Performance

A fabric that can form beautiful pleats, fall gracefully, and hold shape effortlessly is desirable for curtains and drapes. Over and above these basics, every fabric comes with certain qualities that make it particularly more suitable for certain settings and rooms. Let’s explore the various fabrics on offer and evaluate each one’s eligibility for curtains and drapes.

LINEN: Processed and woven from flax, linen is a natural fabric with a slubby texture and natural wrinkles that have long kept it a staple of informal rooms and laidback decor styles. Its breathability finds favor in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. And its hypoallergenic qualities are particularly sought after in kids’ spaces and pet-friendly homes. Linen’s signature crumpled look qualifies it for ultra-casual settings where patina is not concealed but celebrated.

When it comes to ranking linen on compatibility with curtains, we advise paying attention to the dimensional stability factor. Loose-knit linen may shrink and stretch in response to humidity levels, causing the finished length to vary from season to season; hence, we recommend puddling the curtains to camouflage that variation. Or, opt for tight-woven linen or linen blends that are resistant to shrinking and stretching.

COTTON: Yet another purely natural fabric, cotton also brings breathability and hypoallergenic qualities to the table. It has carved out a niche for itself in casual spaces with its nubby texture and homespun appeal, but is versatile enough to shine equally in semi-formal and informal spaces of dressed-down homes. It is homey and texturally rich like linen, but less crinkly and more dimensionally stable in comparison. Hence, it makes an excellent choice for curtains in any setting. However, since cotton fades over time with continuous exposure to sunlight, we recommend opting for light-hued cotton or considering backing bright-colored cotton drapes with a blackout lining.

POLYESTER: The antidote to the shortcomings of natural fabrics, polyester is perfect for curtains on all counts—it holds structure and retains its shape with grace. In addition, its colorfastness, quick-dry features, durability, and economic viability make it particularly more favorable in many homes. We, however, recommend choosing richly textured polys that look aesthetically more satiating. Avoid low-quality flat-woven ones that may cheapen your interiors. Also, since poly is not breathable, avoid 100% polyester curtains in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, where good air circulation matters and cooking smells can linger.

LINEN & COTTON BLENDS: These are fabrics that have learned the wise skill of balance. They bring the breathability and homespun texture of natural fabrics, and then fortify them with the colorfastness and dimensional stability of poly. Truly, the best of both worlds, linen and cotton blends are ideal for curtains in all kinds of settings, and especially so for humid locales where natural fabrics tend to stretch and shrink, compromising their polished finish.

SILK: A long-celebrated native of opulent interiors, silk speaks the tongue of glamor, drama, and extravagance, making it the default choice for ultra-formal classical spaces. Pure shantung and dupioni silk are recommended for statement drapes; however, care should be taken to support them with a blackout lining to resist sun damage. And, never place them in humid and water-prone areas as they tend to retain water stains.

Silk blends and faux versions are better options for spaces where practicality is valued as much as aesthetics. They bring you the same ravishing looks of resplendent silk, minus the maintenance hassles. They are also relatively more viable than pure silk and offer far more diverse combinations of texture and dazzle, so even less dressy spaces can embrace silk’s timeless beauty without looking overly formal.

VELVET: Nothing rivals the plush-napped sheen of velvet, the default statement fabric of interiors that prioritize tactile comfort along with glamorama. Its thick pile is not just an element of visual allure, but also an effective insulative tool that keeps daylight and cold drafts at bay. Velvet drapes are, hence, not just ideal for formal living rooms and grand banquet halls, but also for nurseries and bedrooms. And, they are best avoided in small rooms and humid areas, where air circulation is key.

HAUL 'EM HOME: Linen Curtains | Cotton Curtains | Silk Curtains | Velvet Curtains

Curtain Fabrics at a Glance

The Moment of Decision

Each fabric has a unique offering - a distinct combination of visual appeal and functional traits - that makes it ideal for certain settings, and not the best for others. The fabric that makes a perfect match with the needs and aesthetics of your room should ideally be selected. Hence, there’s no one fabric that becomes the universal choice for window drapery; rather, the ideal fabric will vary from setting to setting, and home to home. Here are some parameters you can set to make the decision process smooth:

BREATHABILITY: Opt for lightweight or medium-weight cotton, linen, or their blends in kitchens, baths, and laundry rooms to avoid trapping smells. These breezy fabrics also make a great choice for small rooms and minimalist settings where you aim to curtail visual clutter.

MOOD: Resplendence tilts the decor towards formality; therefore, silk, velvet, and other lustrous fabrics are top-line choices for dressed-up living and dining areas. Whereas, more casual spaces like sunrooms, kids’ rooms, kitchens, and so on, find their best match in humbler fabrics like cotton and linen.

MOISTURE: In kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, avoid fabrics that lose their polish when exposed to water and moisture. That includes pure silk that holds prominent water stains and loose-woven linen that loses its dimensional stability.

OPERABILITY: Over-heavy drapes are cumbersome to operate. Hence, when choosing fabrics for curtains on expansive window banks and large doorways, opt for light to medium-heavy fabrics to ensure ease of operation.

PATTERN: Most of our fabrics come on 54-inch bolts, so panels wider than about 48 inches (about 20 inches for pinch pleats, which use far more fabric) are seamed. We match the pattern at every seam and never add horizontal seams to long panels, so a bold print is just as safe a choice as a plain. Read more about how we join and pattern-match curtains.

BUDGET: Custom curtains are an investment, and the fabric of choice will therefore, be largely influenced by your budget too. But, there’s always a thoughtful middle-ground between plans and price tags. For instance, if pure silk weighs heavier, faux silks are always available as an alternative. When the choice spectrum is wide, finding a fabric that meets your desires and also falls well within your budget is not difficult.

Before you decide, order a few swatches. Ours are 5 × 5 inches, enough to see the color in your own light and feel the weight in your hand, and they usually arrive in about 7 days.

HAUL 'EM HOME: Fabric Samples & Swatches

The Role of Lining in Drapery

The drapery fabric story is incomplete without a word on lining. That’s because the lining steps in wherever the face fabric falls short. You don’t have to give up on a fabric of your liking, if you can make up for its lacking with a suitable lining. For instance, your fabric may lack colorfastness, insulation, or thickness, but the curtains made of them can circumvent these deficiencies with the help of a lining. Based on the mandate, choose one of these two linings:

PRIVACY LINING: This is a white fabric that adds weight to the curtains. It makes the pleats look more refined and sumptuous, rendering a highly tailored finish that would not have been as perfectly delivered by an unlined drapery. It also softens the sun, cuts glare, and helps protect the face fabric from fading.

BLACKOUT LINING: This lining significantly reduces the light coming in, darkens the room, dampens outside sound, and adds insulation to your drapes. Hence, it is highly recommended for curtains in bedrooms, media rooms, and nurseries. Also, never skip the blackout lining behind pure silk and bright cotton curtains if you prioritize durability as much as refinement.

You can choose between three colors - white, pale gray, and pale beige - based on the color of your face fabric. We usually pair white and pale gray with cool-toned fabrics, and pale beige with warm-colored fabrics to ensure tonal harmony. Both linings are sewn in, and any of our curtains can be made blackout simply by choosing blackout lining.

HOMESEWN WISDOM: Sewn’s Lining Options for Curtains & Roman Shades

HAUL 'EM HOME: Sheer Curtains | Blackout Curtains

Curtain Fabrics: FAQs

What is the best material for curtains?

For most rooms, a medium-weight, tightly woven fabric that drapes well and holds its shape. Linen and cotton blends are often the safest all-rounders, cotton and good-quality polyester work almost anywhere, and velvet or silk suit formal rooms. The best choice depends on the room, the light and the look you want.

Is polyester a good fabric for curtains?

Yes. It holds its shape, resists fading and is good value. Choose a richly textured polyester rather than a flat, shiny one, and skip 100% polyester in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms, where a breathable cotton or linen is better.

Do linen curtains shrink?

Loosely woven linen can shrink and stretch a little as the humidity changes, so the length may shift from season to season. A tightly woven linen or a linen blend stays far more stable, or you can let the curtains puddle slightly to hide any change.

What fabric is best for blackout curtains?

Almost any fabric can become a blackout curtain, because the blackout comes from the lining sewn behind it. It works best behind darker, denser fabrics. For the darkest room, mount the curtains outside the window and let them extend past the trim.

Which curtain fabrics fade the least?

Polyester and many blends are naturally colorfast, while cotton and silk fade over time in strong sun. Lining helps in any case: our privacy and blackout linings both protect the face fabric from direct light.

How heavy should curtain fabric be?

Heavy enough to fall straight and hold a pleat, but not so heavy that the curtains are hard to draw. Medium-weight fabrics suit most rooms; lighter fabrics gain body from a lining, and very large windows are easier to operate in light to medium weights.

Can I see the fabric before I order curtains?

Yes. Order 5 × 5-inch swatches of the fabrics you're considering. They usually arrive in about 7 days, so you can check the color in your own light before you order.

The Last Word on the Choice of Fabric for Curtains and Drapes

Curtains don’t just perform a function but also dress a room. But, how they discharge their duties and aesthetize the room largely depends on the fabric they’re constituted of. So, choosing the right fabric for your curtains, possibly a lifetime’s window dressing, is of utmost importance. We hope that this guide has shed sufficient light on every fabric you might consider, so you can take an informed decision with confidence. And rest assured, whether you’re drawn to knobbly linens or indulgent velvets, Sewn’s catalog of 2,500+ fabrics stretches as far as imagination and taste can wander. So, step into our virtual aisle and pick your favorite drapery fabric today. Every pair is made to measure in our studios in India or the UK, and if you’d like help choosing, our designers are just an email away at hi@sewndrapesandshades.com.

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