Types of lawn fabric: the labels explained

Words about decoration

• Printed lawn: the design is printed on the surface. It tells you nothing about how fine the cloth underneath is.
• Digital printed lawn: printed by inkjet instead of screens, which allows finer detail and more shades in one design. Our article on print methods compares them.
• Embroidered lawn: printed or plain lawn with embroidered parts, usually the front, neckline, sleeves or borders, often supplied as separate panels and patches. Our guide to what is inside an embroidered lawn pack goes through the pieces.
• Chikankari lawn: lawn with tonal, often white-on-white embroidery in the style of chikankari. On mass-produced suits this is machine embroidery in that style, not hand work.

Words about yarn, weave and loom

Sometimes a seller of fabric by the metre also quotes a number such as 60s, 80s or 100s. That is the yarn count, and a higher number means finer yarn, which gives a lighter, smoother and usually sheerer lawn.

• Slub lawn: woven from yarn with deliberate thick and thin places, so the surface has a faint, uneven texture.
• Dobby lawn: has a small geometric pattern, such as dots or tiny diamonds, woven into it. Our textured cotton guide covers slub and dobby.
• Jacquard lawn: has a larger pattern woven in, often in the same colour as the ground. It is usually a touch heavier than plain lawn. See the jacquard guide.
• Swiss lawn: a market name for a finer, smoother, slightly silkier lawn made from fine yarn. The word is generally taken from Swiss voile, a fine cotton long associated with Swiss mills. It does not mean the fabric was made in Switzerland, and no standard defines it.
• Airjet lawn: names the loom. An air-jet loom carries the crosswise thread through on a jet of air. Sellers use the word to signal an even, smooth cloth, but it is not a fibre or a separate fabric.

Words about the range

Luxury lawn, premium lawn and festive lawn are collection names. They usually mean more work on the suit: heavier embroidery, extra borders and patches, and often a dupatta in chiffon, silk or organza in place of plain lawn. The base cloth may be finer too, but the word does not promise it. Our comparison of luxury pret and luxury unstitched lawn explains what the extra pieces involve.

For stitching, a luxury pack matters mainly because there are more pieces to place. Borders, neckline patches and sleeve panels all have to be planned before cutting.

What the label leaves out

No word in front of lawn answers the questions that affect how the suit wears. Check these yourself.

• Sheerness: hold a single layer to daylight. Finer lawns, Swiss included, are often more see-through, not less.
• Fibre: most lawn is cotton, but blends are sold under the same name. Read the composition.
• Shrinkage: any cotton lawn can shrink a little in its first wash, whatever the label says about quality.
• Colour: deep shades can run. A quick colour-fastness test tells you more than the name on the pack.

Having any of them stitched

Every type of lawn is cut and sewn in much the same way. What changes is whether it needs a lining and how many decorated pieces have to be positioned. With Stitching Only, send daylight photos of each piece and the label, and we confirm the fabric suits your design and that there is enough of it before you post anything. Then ask for a stitching quote with your measurements and a picture of the look you want.