Buying fabric by the meter online is faster and broader in choice than sourcing from a local retailer, but it requires a different level of scrutiny before placing an order. A fabric on a screen cannot tell you how it drapes, how it feels against the skin, or whether the colour is accurate under your working light. The information that lets you make a reliable decision is all in the product listing — if it is there. Here is what to look for before ordering any fabric by the meter from an online source.

GSM: the number that determines almost everything

GSM (grams per square meter) is the fabric's weight per unit of area. It is the single most useful number for predicting how a fabric will behave in a garment. A 90–120 GSM fabric will be lightweight and likely semi-sheer; it will drape in a whisper-soft way and is suited to overlay layers and fluid silhouettes. A 160–200 GSM fabric is midweight; it will drape with presence, hold seams cleanly, and suit structured dresses, blouses, and tailored occasion pieces. A 230–260 GSM fabric is on the heavier side for apparel; it will hold a silhouette without support and suit pieces that need to stand away from the body rather than drape against it.

If a product listing does not state the GSM, that is worth noting — it is either missing by oversight or deliberately omitted because the number is less flattering than the photography. Always confirm GSM before ordering any fabric for production.

Width: the number that determines how much to buy

Fabric is sold by the linear meter but the width varies by product. A 90cm wide fabric and a 150cm wide fabric are both “one meter” in price terms, but they give you very different amounts of usable cloth. All HIBA fabrics state width in centimetres: the range covers 130cm (the Reversible Two-Tone Stretch Satin Jacquard), 142cm (Metallic Motif Woven Jacquard), 143cm (Floss Satin Square-Weave Jacquard), 145–150cm (most of the range), and 155cm (Turkish Printed Rayon Viscose Jacquard).

Calculate your yardage requirements from the fabric width before ordering. A 145cm wide fabric may need significantly less meterage for a full-length dress than a 110cm wide alternative at a lower per-meter price.

Fibre content: what it tells you about care and behaviour

Fibre content determines how the fabric responds to washing, pressing, heat, and use over time. Viscose and rayon are fluid and soft but sensitive to heat and water — they need careful handling and benefit from preshrinking before cutting. Polyester is more dimensionally stable and easier to care for but typically has a different drape character than viscose. Lyocell sits between the two: softer and more fluid than polyester, more stable than pure viscose, and backed by a certified sustainable production story. Blends combine characteristics from each fibre present in proportion to their percentage.

Every product in the HIBA collection states fibre content in full: for example, the Lightweight Lyocell Jacquard is 77% Tencel and 23% Polyamide; the Chiffon Rayon Emprime is 100% Rayon.

Construction type: woven, embossed, printed, or emprime

Construction type determines whether the pattern is woven into the cloth structure or applied on top of it, and whether the surface is raised, flat, or sheer. A woven embossed jacquard has a raised, tactile motif that is part of the fabric's structure. A printed emprime has its surface design applied by rotary printing onto a woven base. A self-jacquard has a tonal woven pattern created by weave-structure contrast. Each reads differently, drapes differently, and ages differently. Knowing the construction type before ordering prevents the surprise of receiving a fabric that behaves nothing like what the photograph suggested.

Order a swatch before committing to yardage

The most reliable protection against a fabric order that does not work for your project is ordering a swatch first. A swatch lets you: confirm the colour accuracy under your working light, test the drape by holding it in the orientation the finished garment will use, check opacity by holding it over the intended lining or underlayer, test your pressing and washing method, and confirm that the hand feel matches what you need for your specific garment.

Swatches are available for all HIBA products. Wholesale quotes for production quantities are available from a 25-meter minimum order across the full range, which includes the Silky Rayon Emprime, Chiffon Rayon Emprime, Lightweight Lyocell Jacquard, Floss Satin Square-Weave Jacquard, Moroccan Embossed Rayon Viscose Jacquard, Turkish Printed Rayon Viscose Jacquard, Sheer Lightweight Viscose Embossed Jacquard, Tonal Silky Viscose Jacquard, Viscose Embossed Two-Tone Jacquard, Turkish Rayon Jacquard, Textured Polyester Crepe Jacquard, Reversible Two-Tone Stretch Satin Jacquard, Metallic Motif Woven Jacquard, and Lyocell Viscose Jacquard. Every fabric is made in Türkiye and available with full fibre content, GSM, and width information on each product page.