Sateen

Sateen is a satin-weave cotton: the same long-float weave structure used for silk charmeuse and satin, but built with cotton yarns instead. Floating more yarn on the surface (typically weft-faced) gives the face a soft sheen and a smoother hand than a plain-weave cotton at the same weight, without the slipperiness of a true silk satin. Weight generally sits between 120 and 200 g/m², the range that covers most bedding and dress-weight sateen.

It sews more predictably than silk charmeuse since cotton has more grip and less shift under the presser foot, though the floated yarns on the face can snag more easily than a plain weave and show pin holes if unpicked. It presses well and holds a soft, fluid drape rather than the crispness of poplin. It has no stretch.

Sateen shows up most in bedding and drapery, where its sheen and soft hand read as a step up from plain cotton percale, and it's also used for dresses, skirts, and linings where a bit of luster is wanted without going to silk. It is a reasonable, more affordable substitute for silk satin in garment linings.