How to check fabric quality before you buy

Checks that work on any fabric

• Hold it up to the light. An even weave with no thin patches or slubs where they shouldn't be is a good sign. Light colours should not be see-through when worn.
• Feel both sides. Good fabric feels even across the width, not stiff in one place and limp in another.
• Look at the edges. A neat, straight selvedge usually means careful weaving and finishing.
• Check the colour in daylight. Shop lights and phone screens both change colours.

Lawn and cotton

• Look at the back of a print. On good lawn the print comes through well and the colours stay sharp at the edges.
• Rub a damp white cloth on a dark corner. If colour comes off, it may bleed in the first wash.
• Crush a corner in your hand. All cotton creases, but a good one softens rather than staying papery.
• Expect a little shrinkage. Many tailors wash cotton and lawn before cutting.

See our lawn for the summer season.

Wash and wear

• Crush it and let go. A good wash and wear springs back without sharp creases.
• Rub two layers together. Fabric that starts to fluff or pill straight away will look tired quickly.
• Hold whites up to the light to check they aren't see-through.

Our wash and wear guide covers choosing and care in more detail.

Embroidered suits and panels

• Turn it over. Neat, tight stitches on the back with no long loose threads will last.
• Check the embroidery lies flat and doesn't pucker the fabric around it.
• On zari and metallic work, look for even thread with no dull or broken patches.
• Make sure the dupatta and the plain fabric match the panel in daylight.

Buying on WhatsApp

You can't feel fabric through a phone, so ask for the things that stand in for your hands. Good shops won't mind.

• Photos in daylight, not only under shop lights.
• A close-up of the weave and of the back of any embroidery.
• A short video moving the fabric, so you can see the drape and sheen.
• A photo next to something white, so you can judge the true colour.
• The price and delivery confirmed before anything is cut.

That is how we take orders from customers outside Sialkot: you tell us what you need, we send photos from the shelf and agree the price and delivery before we cut. See how to order fabric online.