Difference Between Fabric and Material

Fabric vs Material

Fabric and material are two words that are used commonly to refer to cloth being sold in the markets to retail customers as against the readymade apparel that is called a garment. While most people prefer buying readymade garments such as shirts, trousers, jeans, jackets, and so on, it is the upholstery required for curtains and sofas that continues to make use of fabrics. There are many people who think that the two words are synonymous and even use them interchangeably. Let us take a closer look in this article.

Fabric

We use the word fabric when we go to a shop selling cloth that we can purchase and make various items that we require. The word is also used when we order a sofa set of a particular shape and size in a furnishing shop and we are asked to finalize the fabric to cover the sofa. There are many different fabrics in vogue for curtains as well as sofas with leather being the preferred choice as fabric for modern sectional sofas. Similarly, fabrics for skirts and tops for women are soft and lightweight, whereas those meant to be converted into trousers and cargos for men and women tend to be heavier with a fall.

As far as types of fabrics are concerned, there is a huge variety available in the market with terylene, cotton, silk, satin, denim, corduroy, polyester etc. being the most popular of them.

Material

Material is a word that is used in many different contexts but when used in the world of clothing; it simply refers to the ingredients or the most important ingredient that has gone into making the fabric or the cloth. If you do not know, denim is the name of the fabric that is used to make jeans and jackets for men and women but the fabric is made using cotton as the chief ingredient. This is why when someone asks a salesman about the material, he uses the word cotton whereas refers to the fabric as denim. Dress material is a phrase that is commonly used in lace of fabrics, and it also makes sense as we are talking about a material that goes into making a dress.

What is the difference between Fabric and Material?

• Fabric is a word used for textiles that are sold in shops for making various items.

• Material is sometimes used for fabrics; as when it is referred to as dress material, though technically, material happens to be the chief ingredient that makes up the cloth or textile.

• Material is the substance that goes into making a fabric such as cotton that is turned into denim fabric.

• Material is also used to indicate the accessories that a tailor needs to convert a fabric or cloth into apparel.

• There is always a raw material with which a fabric is made.