What is Chiffon?

Chiffon is a thin, lightweight, sheer or semi-sheer fabric woven in plain weave. It is woven from hard-twisted yarn. It used to be made of silk; today it is also woven from nylon and other synthetic fibers, and from rayon. It is used in scarves, dresses, blouses, underwear and veils. The Turkish word is şifon.

Chiffon structure

The Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus defines chiffon as a sheer, lightweight plain-weave fabric woven from fine, tightly twisted yarn. The SILKNOW thesaurus, drawing on the same source, calls it a lightweight, semi-transparent plain-weave (tabby) fabric woven with hard-twisted yarn. Dictionaries also define chiffon as a sheer or nearly sheer fabric in plain weave (Random House; Collins). A trade textile glossary (Brentano) describes chiffon as a balanced plain weave; it says that because of the twist of the crepe yarns, the fabric crinkles slightly in both directions after weaving and gains a little stretch and a slightly rough handle.

High-twist yarn is also used in crepe fabrics. CottonWorks describes crepe weave as a derivative of plain weave: the most common crepes are woven with high-twist warp and weft yarns, and the interlacings and floats are arranged irregularly. In chiffon, by contrast, the interlacing pattern is plain weave.

Which fibers is chiffon woven from?

Chiffon is not a fiber name. The Getty AAT and SILKNOW state that the first chiffon was silk and that it is made from synthetic fibers today; SILKNOW names nylon. The Random House dictionary lists silk, nylon and rayon, while the Turkish dictionary TDK defines only chiffon woven from silk yarn. So “chiffon” in a quotation does not tell you the fiber: state the fiber name and percentage separately.

Fabrics confused with chiffon

Uses

The Getty AAT gives scarves, dresses, blouses, underwear and veils as examples of chiffon uses. Because chiffon is sheer, decide at the design stage whether a garment needs a lining or a second layer.

What to specify when sourcing chiffon

1. State the fiber and percentage: silk, nylon, rayon or a blend.
2. Ask for weight in g/m², with the test method. Mass per unit area from small samples is measured to EN 12127, which applies to woven and knitted fabrics.
3. Judge sheerness on the sample. Try the fabric to see how the same product looks lined and unlined.
4. Request a shrinkage result for chiffon: the ISO 5077 figure should come from a sample washed and dried to ISO 6330.
5. For dyed and printed chiffon, state fastness: ISO 105-C06 for laundering.

Frequently asked questions

Is chiffon silk?

Chiffon is a fabric name, not a fiber name. TDK defines şifon as a thin, sheer fabric woven from silk yarn, while the Getty AAT, Random House and SILKNOW also cite chiffons woven from nylon, rayon and other synthetic fibers. Find out the fiber from the label or the specification.

Are chiffon and georgette the same?

Dictionaries list them as separate fabrics: georgette as a thin crepe with a dull surface, chiffon as a sheer plain-weave fabric. Because the word “crepe” can also mean that the fabric is woven with crepe yarn, georgette being woven in plain weave does not contradict this definition; one lecture note lists both among plain-weave fabrics. In a quotation, add fiber and weight next to the fabric name and work from an approved sample.

Is chiffon sheer?

Chiffon is defined as a thin, sheer or semi-sheer fabric. The degree of sheerness varies from fabric to fabric; check suitability for the intended use on a sample.