Georgette is a sheer, lightweight fabric woven from highly twisted crepe yarns — kin to chiffon, but heavier, grainier, and more matte. Its springy, pebbled texture gives it body and wrinkle resistance: the fabric of flowing blouses, dresses, and layered skirts that need to move without clinging.
How Georgette Differs From Chiffon
Georgette and chiffon share a recipe — alternating S-twist and Z-twist crepe yarns in a plain weave — but georgette uses heavier yarns. The result is a more pronounced crepe grain, a duller surface that absorbs light instead of glowing, and a hand with real spring to it.
In practical terms, georgette is less transparent than chiffon, holds a gathered or flared shape better, and springs back from creasing where chiffon stays limp. It drapes beautifully but with more substance — float with backbone.
A Fabric Named for a Dressmaker
Georgette takes its name from Georgette de la Plante, a French modiste working in the early 1900s, who is credited with introducing the fabric to Parisian couture. Originally silk, it became a mainstay of elegant day dressing between the wars.
The blouse decades — the 1970s and 1980s — made georgette a wardrobe essential: fluid printed blouses with ties and ruffles. It is also a beloved fabric in South Asian dress, where georgette sarees and salwar suits combine sheerness with easy care, especially in polyester versions.
Georgette Today
Georgette dresses, blouses, and evening separates remain staples, and its wrinkle resistance makes it a traveler’s friend. Designers layer it over opaque underlays for depth, gather it for texture, and print it — the matte surface takes prints crisply.
Sew it much like chiffon: cut on a stable surface, use fine needles, and finish seams with French seams or narrow rolled hems. Polyester georgette is machine-washable; silk georgette deserves gentler handling. A cool iron with a press cloth keeps the grain intact.
FAQs
- What is the difference between georgette and chiffon?
- Georgette is heavier, grainier, and more matte, with better shape retention and wrinkle resistance. Chiffon is lighter, softer, and drapes more fluidly.
- Is georgette stretchy?
- It has a slight mechanical give from the twisted crepe yarns, but no true stretch unless elastane is added. Cut woven patterns, not knit ones.
- Does georgette wrinkle?
- It resists wrinkling better than most sheers thanks to its springy crepe texture — one reason travelers favor it.
- What seams work best on georgette?
- French seams for straight seams and narrow rolled hems for edges. Both enclose raw edges, control fraying, and look clean through the sheer cloth.
Glossary: see the full fashion glossary for more apparel industry terms.