Chiffon

Chiffon is a sheer, lightweight plain weave made from highly twisted yarns, which gives it a slightly rough, crepey feel rather than the smoothness of a satin. It's woven from silk or, more often now, polyester, with polyester chiffon being cheaper, more washable, and less prone to water spotting. Weight sits low, generally under 45 g/m², since the entire point of the cloth is transparency and airy movement.

It frays badly at any cut edge and slides under a presser foot, which makes it one of the harder fabrics to sew cleanly. Rolled hems, French seams, and tissue paper or spray starch stabilizing during cutting are standard workarounds. It has no stretch, and it drapes with almost no weight of its own, so it needs to be underlined or layered when used for anything other than sheer overlays.

Chiffon is used for overlays on dresses, floaty sleeves, scarves, and ruffle details where the goal is movement and transparency rather than structure. It is rarely used alone for a full garment; most patterns pair it with an opaque lining or base layer underneath.