Dehnen

Everything on this page moves — jerseys, scubas, lycras, stretch laces and velvets with give in them. Stretch fabrics are what modern comfortable clothing is made of: they fit close without squeezing, move with the body, and forgive the difference between Tuesday and Sunday.

Two things worth knowing before you choose. First, stretch varies: two-way fabrics stretch across the width, four-way stretch in every direction — dancewear and swimwear want four-way, most dresses are happy with either. Second, recovery matters as much as stretch: a good stretch fabric springs back, which is why garments made from this page keep their shape wash after wash.

Sewing stretch is easier than its reputation — a ball point or stretch needle and a narrow zigzag is genuinely the whole trick. Our beginner guides on the blog walk you through it.