Suede Fabric Directory

Two Materials, One Name

Suede began as leather: the flesh side of a hide - usually lamb, goat, calf or pigskin - buffed to raise a soft, short nap. Leather suede breathes, molds to shape and ages beautifully, but it is expensive, variable in quality and ruined by water if untreated. Fabric suede answers those problems with chemistry and engineering: microsuede is woven or knitted from micro-denier polyester, then brushed, sanded and often embossed until its surface mimics the nap of the real thing. It is uniform, washable, cheaper and animal-free, and it now covers most of the upholstery, footwear-lining and apparel yardage sold under the suede name.

The Apparel Search glossary's own treatment is the Suede Definition in the definitions section. Specifying which material you mean - leather suede or suede fabric - is the first step in any sourcing conversation, because their prices, care and performance differ completely.

How Suede Fabric Is Made

Microsuede starts with microfibers: polyester filaments finer than a denier, split or sea-island spun so each filament separates into a bundle of ultra-fine fibers. Woven or warp-knitted densely, the cloth is then raised - passed over abrasive rollers or sandpaper-covered drums that pull the microfiber ends into a nap - dyed, and finished with softeners, anti-static agents and sometimes water-repellent or stain-resistant treatments. The best grades are nearly indistinguishable from leather suede by touch, and their nap shows the same two-tone shading when brushed in different directions, the mark buyers run a thumb across the swatch to check.

Performance follows the base cloth: upholstery microsuede is built heavy with a foam or scrim backing, apparel grades stay light and drapable, and automotive grades add flame retardancy and UV stability. Because the nap traps air, suede fabrics feel warm and quiet, which is why they dominate winter-weight fashion fabrics, gloves, bags and home textiles in the cold-season market.

The Mills on This Page

Four mills are listed below: A K Dyeing of India - a dyeing house, suiting a category where color and finish decide the product; Dimple International Corporation of Taiwan, from the island whose microfiber industry set the quality standard for fabric suede; PT. Frans Putratex of Indonesia; and Shenghong Group Co Ltd of China, one of the world's largest filament producers, whose scale reaches from polyester yarn to finished fabric. The links also point readers to the Silk Fiber Directory, a reminder of how often suede ranges are merchandised beside silk in fabric stores.

Choosing between the listed mills' product types comes down to end use and care expectations. Leather suede belongs in footwear uppers, gloves, bags and premium jackets, where its molding quality and patina justify the price and the specialist cleaning. Microsuede wins wherever washing, uniformity across a long production run, or a vegan product claim matters - contract upholstery, children's wear, and high-volume fashion. In both materials, color is the critical approval point: napped surfaces shade differently with viewing angle, so approvals should be made on a large swatch viewed in daylight and store light, brushed in both directions, never on a small cutting held flat under a single lamp.

Care separates the two materials in daily life as well. Leather suede needs protection sprays, suede brushes and professional cleaning; microsuede tolerates machine washing on most apparel grades and wipes clean in upholstery use. For rental, hospitality and children's products, that difference alone usually settles the specification before price is even discussed.

Fabric Mills and Factories in This Directory

The mills below are the four listed on this page. Each name opens that company's profile in the Fabric Mills by Name directory.