
Some you can see slightly through when the fabric is flat and some show a lot more translucency when held up to light or over objects. The group which is more considered translucent consists of fabric with a complete weave that has semi see through visibility. Otherwise known as semi – opaque, this group of fabrics consists of materials that are woven in a solid form and material with an open weave which includes holes and patterns.įishnet fashion fabric, lace and even hessian could be considered semi opaque, simply because there are some parts you can see through and some you can’t. Some fabrics such as chiffon and georgette drape beautifully and has a mat like appearance, others like organza and organdy are slightly stiffer but are more decorative as the surfaces have either a fine shimmer or a soft sheen to the fabric. These sheer fabrics are widely used in dressmaking and decoration. The types of fabric that fall into the transparent category are widely known as SHEERS. To explain better, I have taken these images on text so you get an idea of how much you can clearly see. Even if the fabric is extremely fine, there will still be the smallest amount of cloudiness that would affect the clarity when you look through the fabric. When talking about transparent in fabric terms, this group consists of fabric you will certainly be able to see through, but with a slight hindrance due to the weave, texture and pattern. With fabric though, the physical state of the group is slightly different. Just a few materials fall into that group, plastic, glass and very clear PVC natural crystal can all be seen through with no haze or texture.

In normal day to day situations transparent means completely see through. But as with many things, some fabric does not fall easily into specified categories. Transparent Fabric, Translucent and Opaque Fabric may seem fairly straightforward to a lot of people working with textiles. Transparent Fabric Examples – See Through or Not See Through!
