Lining Fabrics

A lining sits between the outer fabric and the body, and it's doing several jobs at once depending on the garment: hiding raw seams and interfacing so the inside looks finished, adding opacity to a fabric that would otherwise be too sheer to wear alone, letting a scratchy or stiff outer fabric (wool coating, for instance) sit against skin comfortably instead of directly, and making the garment slide on and off easily rather than dragging against underclothes.

The two I reach for most: China silk or a silk-like lining fabric (acetate, polyester lining cloth) for garments that need to slip on smoothly with minimal bulk, and cotton batiste or lawn for anything that needs to breathe more or sit against skin directly, like a bodice lining. Weight matters as much as fiber — a lining heavier than the fashion fabric it's supporting will drag the whole garment out of shape, so I try to match or go a touch lighter, never heavier.

One habit that's saved me more than once: cutting the lining with a slightly smaller seam allowance than the outer fabric shell (a scant 1/8" less), so the lining sits fractionally inside the outer shell rather than fighting to be exactly the same size — it keeps the outer fabric from being pulled or distorted by the lining underneath.