Today’s post on luxury fabrics is designed to help you spice up your writing, world-building, or roleplaying.
It’s perfect for those who want to add a bit of flair to their characters or scenes but aren’t sure where to start.
It’s also a handy reference guide, as many of the fabrics listed here are likely to appear in settings that feature wealth or high society.
Throughout this post, I’ll also provide links to additional resources in case you’d like to dive into the details or look up more examples.
But first, how does a fabric earn the label “luxury fabric?” What makes it “luxurious?” And what the heck is “haute couture?”
Let’s break it down with some quick definitions.
Table of Contents
What are luxury fabrics?
Luxury fabrics are expensive textiles that are often painstakingly hand-made or woven out of expensive natural fibers.
Luxury fabrics are used to create everything from haute couture clothing to evening gowns, bespoke suits, coats, upholstered furniture, and limited-edition handbags, among other items.
As with other luxury goods, demand increases for these items more than what is proportional as income rises.
What is haute couture?
Haute couture is a French term meaning “high sewing” or “high dressmaking.”
Haute couture refers to high-end, custom-made fashion created by skilled designers and artisans. It emphasizes exquisite craftsmanship, attention to detail, and exclusive, one-of-a-kind creations that are tailored to individual clients.
What makes a fabric luxurious?
Luxurious fabrics have exceptional quality, exquisite texture, and a visually appealing appearance. They feel soft, smooth, or plush to the touch, drape elegantly, and exhibit superior craftsmanship due to how they were made.
Additionally, a sense of exclusivity or rarity associated with the fabric can enhance its status as a luxury item.
List of luxury fabrics and textiles
Below is a hand-picked alphabetical list of sumptuous fabrics and the luxurious items they’re most often used for:
Luxury fabrics A-E
Brocade – a richly-woven, decorative fabric that can even include threads of gold or silver. Used mostly in upholstery today, but historically was used in expensive garments. Brocatelle is similar to brocade but features satin effects and a higher relief. There are many types of brocades found all over the world, such as Songket in Indonesia and Saga Nishiki in Japan.
Cashmere – a soft, richly cozy material made from cashmere wool, which is often woven or knitted into scarves, sweaters, or other accessories. A similar fabric is pashmina, which is made from pashmina-grade cashmere harvested from Pashmina goats. The two terms (pashmina and cashmere) are so closely related that they’re often used interchangeably.
Charmeuse – a lightweight, satin-weave fabric with a shiny side and a dull side, typically made from silk. Charmeuse is used to make evening gowns, bridalwear, blouses, and sometimes menswear. The term “charmeuse” is French for “charmer.”
Chiffon – a lightweight, gauzy, elegantly-draping sheer fabric originally made from silk. Chiffon is often used for blouses, evening wear, and lingerie.
Crepe – fabric with a crisp or crimped appearance, woven from hard-spun yarn (often silk, as in silk crepe). Crepe can also be spelled “crêpe” or “crape.” Crepe comes in a wide variety of types and is made from a variety of fibers.
Damask – a heavy, patterned textile similar to brocade but reversible (the designs are mirrored on both sides of the fabric). Damask often features flowers and animals as motifs, as well as furling acanthus leaves.
Luxury fabrics F-J
Faille – a heavyweight flat-ribbed fabric, often silk or wool, used for coats, suits, and dresses. Similar fabrics include grosgrain and poplin. The lightweight version is called “tissue faille.”
Gabardine – a tightly-woven yet lightweight fabric used to make suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, and outerwear. It has a slight sheen, good drape, and is resistant to wrinkles and creases. Because gabardine is both durable and water-resistant, it was originally used to make military uniforms. The most expensive gabardine today is made from high-quality wool and luxury fiber blends.
Guanaco – fabric made from the very fine wool of the guanaco, a wild camelid native to the steppes and scrublands of South America. Guanaco products, including yarn spun from guanaco wool, are highly regulated and rarely exported, which is why you’ve probably never heard of it.
Luxury fabrics K-O
Lace – an exquisite and delicate fabric known for its intricate patterns and elegant appearance. Luxury lace is traditionally made using fine threads, such as silk or cotton, and crafted through a labor-intensive process called lace-making.
Lamé – a type of fabric woven or knit with thin ribbons of metallic fiber wrapped around natural or synthetic fibers. Gold or silver was traditionally employed, though sometimes also copper threads. Lamé is most often used to create extravagant ballgowns and shiny costumes.
Lampas – a luxurious and elaborate fabric characterized by its richly patterned design and multiple woven layers. It features a combination of satin or twill weave with additional decorative motifs or patterns woven into the fabric using supplementary weft or warp yarns. Lampas often incorporates metallic or lustrous threads, adding to its opulence and visual appeal. It has a long history of use in prestigious garments, upholstery, and other high-end decorative purposes.
Lotus silk – a rare silk fabric woven from the stems (not the flowers) of the padonma kya lotus in Myanmar. Lotus silk is known for its natural luster, softness, and lightweight feel. It also has good breathability and moisture-wicking properties, making it comfortable to wear.
Matelassé – a thick, decorative fabric that has a quilted appearance. Matelassé is most often used to make luxury bedspreads and upholstery, but it is sometimes used for garments, as well. The name comes from the French verb “matelasser,” which means “to pad” or “to quilt.”
Muslin – a plain-woven cotton fabric known for its lightweight and breathable nature. It is typically made from fine, tightly spun yarns, resulting in a soft and smooth texture. A versatile fabric with a long history, muslin is used for a variety of purposes, including apparel, bedding, and curtains. It comes in various weights, from sheer and delicate to heavier varieties, and can be easily dyed, printed, or embellished with embroidery or other decorative techniques.
Nacré – a luxurious type of velvet that uses yarns of different colors to achieve an iridescent effect, similar to sharkskin and shot silk (described below). The fabric is named after nacre, which is also known as mother of pearl.
Nainsook – a soft, lightweight cotton fabric (a type of muslin) traditionally used for baby clothes and lingerie. Its name comes from the Hindi word “nainsukh,” which means “eye’s delight.”
Organdy – a very sheer, almost translucent lightweight cotton fabric made especially crisp by an acid finish. These days, organdy is used in bridalwear and high fashion but wrinkles easily, so it’s not a great choice for everyday wear.
Organza – a thin and slippery sheer fabric traditionally made from silk. Organza is typically used to make bridalwear and evening dresses. It was probably invented in China sometime during antiquity; China has a very long history of silk craftsmanship.
Oxford – known for its distinctive basket-weave texture, Oxford is characterized by a slightly heavier weight and a prominent two-tone appearance created by using different-colored warp and weft yarns. It’s a popular choice for dress shirts.
Luxury fabrics Q-U
Taffeta – a crisp, smooth fabric traditionally made from silk. Yarn-dyed taffeta is used in ballgowns, wedding dresses, corsets, and interior decor. Piece-dyed taffeta, which is much softer, is more often used for linings. Fun fact for cat-lovers: in the 1600s, tabby cats were named after tabby taffeta, a type of silk with a striped pattern.
Rinzu – a Japanese silk-satin brocade or damask fabric characterized by its embossed patterns and glossy, smooth surface. It was the fabric of choice for expensive kimonos in the Edo period. The term “rinzu” comes from the intricate weaving technique used to make it, though the fabric can also incorporate other techniques. Rinzu with a reversible pattern can be called a damask, for example.
Shahtoosh – an ultra-fine, soft fabric woven from the downy hairs of the Tibetan antelope (chiru). Shahtoosh is hand-made in Nepal and India in very small quantities, but trading shahtoosh is banned due to the endangered status of the chiru. The word “shahtoosh” translates to “King of Fine Wools” in Persian; this reflects the status of shahtoosh as a coveted luxury fabric. Scientifically speaking, the hairs of the chiru are the finest in the world, followed by vicuña fibers (more on vicuña below).
Sharkskin – a twill-weave fabric where darker and lighter strands are woven together to create a luster effect. Sharkskin wool is often used to make fine suits. The fabric gets its name from its resemblance to the texture and appearance of shark skin. The fabric is designed to mimic the sleek, smooth, and slightly rough texture of a shark’s skin – no sharks are harmed in the making of this fabric!
Silk – any fabric made using silk technically qualifies as silk fabric. This is a good term to use when a more specific term (such as charmeuse) doesn’t apply. As mentioned above, silk usually refers to fabric made using mulberry silk, but there are other types of silk, as well. One such example is shot silk.
Shot silk – silk woven with two or more colors to create an iridescent appearance, similar to sharkskin fabric. Used in neckties, dresses, and accessories.
Sateen – a cool, smooth fabric made using the sateen weave, which leaves it shinier on one side than the other. Although sateen can be made from various fibers, the best sateen is made using extra long-staple cotton, which is treated to give it a characteristic silkiness.
Tulle – a lightweight, very fine netting woven in a hexagonal pattern. It is typically starched to give it a stiff appearance. Tulle is used in veils and garment embellishments to provide a lacy, floating look. It’s most easily recognized as the fabric used to make ballerina tutus. The name comes from the city in France where the fabric was originally produced.
Luxury fabrics V-Z
Velvet – a tufted fabric with a short, dense pile, typically woven two pieces at a time. Although traditionally made from silk, velvet can also be made from linen, cotton, wool, and synthetic fiber. Crushed velvet is made by twisting the yarns while wet or by pressing them down in different directions.
Velveteen – a plush fabric made to imitate velvet but uses less expensive fibers such as cotton. Whereas velvet is made by piling the vertical yarns, velveteen is made by piling the filler (horizontal) yarns. Another name for velveteen is “imitation velvet.”
Vicuña – one of the finest, most expensive fabrics in the world, renowned for its incredible warmth-to-weight ratio. It provides excellent insulation while remaining lightweight and breathable. Known as the “Fiber of the Gods,” the fabric is handmade in small quantities from the wool of wild Peruvian vicuñas, which are smaller relatives of guanacos. Among ancient Andean civilizations, these animals held great importance and were considered sacred. The title “Fiber of the Gods” thus symbolizes the historical significance, extraordinary properties, and cultural reverence for the vicuña and its wool.
Cost per yard for luxury fabrics
At this point, you must be curious about the price tags attached to some of these fabrics!
Cost per yard for luxury fabrics can vary by quality, origin, availability, and other factors.
For materials like sea silk and shahtoosh, for example, it’s difficult to approximate the cost per yard because it’s against the law to trade or export these goods.
Here are a few example prices for fabrics that can be sold legally:
- chiffon – $80 per yard
- satin – $100 per yard
- sharkskin wool – $100 per yard
- velvet – $200 per yard
- silk – $300 per yard
- brocade, damask, Jacquard – $300 per yard
- cashmere, pashmina – $500 per yard
- vicuña – $1000+ per yard!
Note: these prices apply to high-end, luxury versions of these fabrics, not the cheaper versions made using lesser-quality materials.
So how do these prices translate into finished luxury goods? Let’s look at some examples:
A full-length ballgown can use anywhere from 6-10 yards of fabric, and a three-piece suit can use 4-6 yards of fabric.
This means a gown could cost $3000 in fabric alone, without even factoring in the price of labor, designer or brand name, or things like gemstone embellishments.
Likewise, bespoke suits can get pretty expensive when you account for tailoring and brand – tens of thousands of dollars in some cases.
A tailored vicuña suit starts at $32,000.
Colors that symbolize luxury, wealth, and prestige
Lastly, color also plays a role in the attractiveness and allure of luxury fabrics.
Throughout history, certain colors have been associated with prestige and wealth, though the meanings can differ by culture and time period.
Here are a few examples to help you get creative:
- Royal purple (also known as Tyrian purple and imperial purple) is historically associated with royalty and wealth. In many cultures, purple was a color reserved for monarchs and nobility due to its rarity in ancient times. Most people could not afford the dye, which had to be painstakingly harvested from sea snails.
- Burgundy and other deep, rich shades of red are often associated with opulence and power. Red is often seen as a bold and commanding color, symbolizing wealth and prosperity.
- Gold is universally recognized as a symbol of wealth and luxury. Its shimmering, radiant nature has been associated with riches and prosperity throughout history.
- Royal blue has long been associated with nobility and prestige, for reasons similar to royal purple. Deep shades of blue have been used to signify power, wealth, and high social status.
- Emerald green is often associated with wealth, freshness, and abundance. Deep, vibrant shades of green can convey a sense of luxury and affluence.
- Pearl white is often associated with elegance, sophistication, and purity. It has a soft, subtle, and luminous quality reminiscent of the iridescent sheen of pearls. While not directly linked to wealth in the same way as gold or royal purple, pearl white can convey a sense of luxury and refinement, particularly in the realm of fashion and design. Its clean and timeless aesthetic has made it a popular choice for high-end and formal settings.
Individual preferences and contemporary fashion trends can also affect these meanings.
For a list of rare color terms (including more exotic and exclusive options), check out my post on rare colors.
Andruid (she/her) is a writer, roleplayer, storyteller, and nerd who tries to live by Bill and Ted wisdom, i.e. "Be excellent to each other." She created Writing Games to share lessons learned and to introduce new players to the world of text-based games. Learn more.
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