Which Material Should I Choose?

At SATINGEAR.COM we use all kinds of fabrics - it doesn’t have to be satin. We work in everything from Polyurethane, PVC, lamé and sequins to linen to cotton (if for some odd reason you prefer that, hehe) - and the finest, thinnest Japanese Kobe Leather.

Most of our gear, though, is made from satin such as silk satin, acetate satin, viscose satin or polyester satin - or a combination of these.

This site is not called SATINGEAR.COM for nothing 😎

In this section we will describe the various fabric types, so you can determine what kind of material will best serve the purpose of the garment you’re considering having custom made. There are a few shiny things to consider.

Why Does Satin Shine? - Weaving Methods Explained

Satin weaves create a very smooth fabric surface by passing the warp (or filling) yarn uninterruptedly over four or more filling (or warp) yarns. Due to the long distance between the interlockings of the treads, this type of weave produces a fabric that is shiny, soft, and drapes well. Compare it to the other methods.

Plain weave, also known as ”one up and one down” is the simplest and most common textile weave. It consists of threads that are interlaced in alternating fashion of 1 up and 1 down, designated as 1/1. This type of weaving produces a simple checkerboard pattern that has the maximum number of binding points. Thus, plain weaves form a strong, and durable cloth that doesn’t fray as easily as other weaves.

Twill is another widely used weave pattern produced by passing the weft yarn under and over multi warp yarns, in an alternating sequence such as “2 up and 1 down” or “2 up and 2 down”, designated as 2/1 and 2/2, respectively. Twill weaves are used to create strong fabrics such as tweed and course denim (jeans) which have a diagonal rib pattern on the fabric surface.

Basket weave is a modification of the plain weave, but with two or more yarns combined and woven as one. This creates a more textured fabric that has an emphasized checkerboard pattern of the plain weave. A fabric that utilizes a basket weave is what’s called Oxford cloth.

SATINGEAR.COM Fabrics & Materials

“Decades of experience have enabled me to offer only the very best in fabrics. I know my clients’ deep, abiding passion for sexy, shiny über-luxe menswear. For many of them shiny fashion is a lifestyle they have craved and cultivated all of their lives. They’re deeply passionate about satin, leather etc. and I want to provide the very best products to facilitate their lifestyle and fulfill their sexy dreams. That all starts with the fabrics.”

- Jay, founder of SATINGEAR.COM

Silk Satin

The 30 Momme Weight (112 g per sqm) Silk Satin Colour Range

Silk is a natural fiber and the silk satin is luxuriously lustrous. The fabric glides over the body providing an incredible, unmistakeable feel. It has fantastic drape and looks expensive because it is expensive. Silk is anti-bacterial and lets your body breathe so it’s great for summer wearing.

Silk thickness is defined by weight and most off-the-rack silk shirts you buy online are thin 12-16 momme (the silk weight unit). My custom silk shirts and jackets are typically 22 - 40 momme, so we’re talking really heavy, luxurious silk quality. The fabrics are Mulberry silks spun, weaved and printed in China, the country that invented silk and the satin weave process. They are amazing.

The SATINGEAR.COM silk satin garments are the most luxurious items of clothing you will ever own.

Fabric Weights

22 momme = 82.5 gram per square metre (light-medium weight)

30 momme = 112,5 gram per square metre (medium-heavy weight)

40 momme = 150 gram per square metre (heavy weight)

The 40 Momme (150 g per sqm) Silk Satin Colour Range

Printed Silk Satin

At SATINGEAR.COM we design our own prints - got an idea? Let’s discuss! - and these patterns are then printed on all kinds of fabrics, including gorgeous silk satin. Some examples of our printed satin silks can be seen below.

Acetate Satin #1

Acetate satin is very shiny, heavy, a nice drape, luxurious look - but naughtily erotic too. Many satin guys have this type of satin as their favourite.

The fabric is actually made from cellulose - which again is made from tree pulp (!) - and is quite delicate and stains rather easily. So if you plan to use your garment to play around in - thus requiring it to undergo a lot of dry cleaning or even washing (it can be gently washed) - choosing a machine washable polyester is probably the better choice.

However, if your garment is intended for everyday/formal/club use it is a fantastic fabric that will get you noticed and felt up no end. It is one of our absolute satin favourites and most abiding satin passions.

Fabric weight is 220 gram per square metre - this is a heavy, luxe satin.

Click on the colour card to see enlarged version.

Polyester Satin

Our polyester satins are very high shine and slick. Typically they are the least expensive of the satins - but polyester satins come in many qualities and it’s had to find a really good polyester satin. We have scoured the world’s fabric markets and now offer two types that are tried, tested and truly awesome.

These fabrics can be machine washed and tumble dried - so you can really have fun in polyester satin gear and not have to worry about ruining it.

Polyester Satin - Type 1

Amazing, top of the line polyester satin. Heavy, shiny, durable - virtually indestructable! - and ever so slick. It gets softer and drapier with each wash but keeps offering great hold.

This polyester satin can be used for any type of clothing - jackets, shirts, jeans, nightwear, bedding, suits etc.

It is a very sexy satin that is easy to clean and can therefore be played hard in with no noticeable deterioration of the fabric. It actually seems to only get better with each wash - yes, this satin can be machine washed and even tumble dried.

We often use this to line acetate satin garments with - they work great in combination. A truly great polyester satin, which took us literally years to find.

Fabric weight is 160 gram per square metre.

Click on the images in the grid to enlarge. Mouse over to see the colour names.

Polyester Satin - Type 2

Very slightly lighter than Type 1 (´150 gram per square metre) and a little less (or should we say different) shine - but still very, very lustrous. The drape is a bit softer than Polyester Type 1.

This polyester satin is available in a much larger colour range than Type 1.

A great polyester satin - also to line, say, an acetate satin garment with.

The fabric can be machine washed and even tumble dried, though at SATINGEAR.COM we prefer to hang-dry our satin garments.

Polyester Satin - Type 3A

BACK IN STOCK!

We love this polyester satin type so we’re very pleased to find it back in stock after years of unavailability. Very slick and shiny but a limited colour range, as you can see. At 120 gram per square metre the weight is slightly less than Type 1.

This fabric can be machine washed and even tumble dried, though at SATINGEAR.COM we prefer to hang-dry our satin garments.

Polyester Satin - Type 3B

BACK IN STOCK!

We love this polyester satin type so we’re very pleased to find it back in stock after years of unavailability. Very slick and shiny but it comes in a limited colour range, as you can see.

This is the lighter version of this polyester satin coming in at 90 gram per square metre. It’s great for lining, say, an acetate satin or Polyester 3A garments. However, it works fine as outside (shell) fabric, too. Really great material.

This fabric can be machine washed and even tumble dried, though at SATINGEAR.COM we prefer to hang-dry our satin garments.

Viscose Satin

A very slick and very shiny satin is often used for lining in ready-to-wear coats and suits - but at SATINGEAR.COM we also use it for shirts and shell (outer) fabric for jackets, too. It has a drape very much like silk satin.

Great colour range and a very luxe look. It’s considerably more expensive than our polyester satins and is dry clean only.

Fabric weight is 100 gram per square metre.

Click on the images in the grid to enlarge. Mouse over to see the colour names.

Polyurethane, Vegan Leather, PVC & Faux Fur

We work with great vegan leathers, shiny polyurethane and PVC fabrics as well. Vegan leather can look extremely convincing and has an eroticism all of its own. PVC has a distinct fetish-like look that’s great when used in everyday garments like bombers, shirts or jeans - or how about a suit in shiny black PVC or polyurethane?

At SATINGEAR.COM we also have access to some truly great faux (artificial) fur and have made some extremely luxe looking and feeling garments over the years. Wear fur in good conscience - luxuriously lined with satin, of course.