Smooth, rough or ultra-raised - fabrics have a character that you need to identify.

"Grab satin, it's soooh divine and just right for you!" squeals your companion. Your heart says a big 'NO!' and tilts towards textured linen. All you want is a well-cut top in ridged fabric for your eccentric cotton skirt. You pine for a structured cotton-silk-with-cotton tale, while she lets all-directional flow and only-sleek-for-the-evening thoughts rule her mind. You're confused. Gosh! What goes with what? And even though you know prêt or ready-to-wear is in and haute couture has taken a step back, you still love the thought of getting something custom-made, however cumbersome, for special occasions. Perhaps, knowing a little about fabrics and textures will help you decide better for both buying and tailoring, even though loads of designers are waving their magic wands. Play It Up Or Down Fabrics speak a language as your fingers touch them - a language worth learning. Silks whisper and some linen blends can croak rather hoarsely. Every fashion soul hears these voices differently. You want to buy something or get a shape made, but can the voice of gossamer silk be in tune with that of rough cable knit? Relax! It's not tough to understand the basics. Read on... Fabrics are of two types - knitted and woven. A woven fabric is all about intermingling of yarns or threads. The yarns run in two directions - warp (length-wise or vertical) and weft (width-wise or horizontal). The warp and weft yarns interlace rhythmically to form the fabric. The texture of a fabric depends on the number and quality of yarns and the weaving technique. It's as simple as that! So the next time you enter a fabric store, look closely at the weaves. Probably, the fabric you've picked up has taken more than a year to be woven! It's a tedious process. Some fabrics are smooth, a few uneven and others bumpy. Some ensembles look great in a single texture and other silhouettes need fabric mixing for a 'we are not banal' tag. Designer Narendra Kumar feels mixing is a must for a stylish wardrobe but warns against overdoing it. He says, "Avoid mixing two heavily textured fabrics. Also, take the colour into account." Bela Shanghvi swears by mixing too, but has a different take, "Textures and fabrics are subtle expressions of personality. You need to create a harmony and balance even in the mixture - wool has a warm quality, while chiffon is cool. You can't let one part of your body sweat and the other remain cool in the same garment! It's a marriage of beauty and functionality. I prefer a minimum 50 per cent natural mix even for winters. Silk, spun moga and spun tussar have fantastic drapability and are luxurious at the same time." Now, let your imagination soar - mix fabrics, it's in. Loop This Stretchable clothes, lingerie and sweaters need baby-like treatment. But before that, it's imperative to know what causes stretch. Stretchable knit fabric is a result of interlocked loops (as in hand knitting) formed by yarns.

Have you ever noticed your mom or granny's deft handling of long needles on the woollen yarns? Advanced knitting follows a similar pattern. A few garments are knitted wholly on the machine and some stitched in parts and then assembled. Commonly used knit structures are jersey (light-weight and ideal for skirts and tops), rib (corrugated sheet-like knit that looks the same both sides), sweatshirt fleece (medium-weight, stretches less, more absorbent and used largely for sportswear) and velour (stretch velvet for evening wear or semi-casuals). Knits are easy to sew, fit well and have a low-maintenance record. Now you know why sweaters, lingerie and knitted tops stretch and why they are supposed to be dried flat! Both woven and knits stretch; knits can get wild, while woven fabrics have restrictions. But if a stretchable yarn like lycra is mixed with cotton while weaving, the cotton can stretch (recall the 'Lycra-5 per cent' tag in your top and how well it hugs you).

The more the spandex or lycra in your garment (an expensive affair), the more the elongation. Swimsuits and lingerie use oodles of this yarn and are hence high-priced. Brands like Victoria's Secret, Lovable, Triumph, Aubade or Enamour, use soft wovens and knits with lycra. This should make you cringe less when you pay for lingerie or sweaters! Woven fabric, on the other hand has a latent stretch that's not easily detectable . Try pulling a fabric in both directions - the weft stretches more than the warp. A diagonal yank will have the maximum stretch - that's when the fabric is on bias. This is the secret of bias-cut dresses - they hug you more snugly and sexily! You can also juxtapose knit and woven - ribbed collars and cuffs on a georgette blouse. But remember to keep the weights of the fabric in mind - an ultra-heavy rib would rip or deshape the georgette! According to Narendra Kumar, suede can go with rib and jersey with chiffon. "Knit and woven fabric mixing is suddenly leading the fashion troupe. I am working on it too," he says. Picking 'n' Choosing "There is no 'right' or 'wrong' when it comes to fabric. The result is important," says, Bela Shanghvi. Choice of fabric largely depends on the style. A traditional lehenga with embroidery would look better in silk or its siblings than in a cabled knit. The ability of the fabric to fall well is more important than the decoration. Bela suggests deep and soft textures like angora for a skinny built. "It can soften the angular set of bones," she says. "For a broad person, it's better to avoid heavy fabrics. You can insert small parts of heavy fabric in the collars, cuffs or the pockets.

" Weather is another aspect that affects the choice. You might like cotton in summer or even in winter (when teamed with heavy cashmere). But take care that you don't go for a fuzzy coat in a humid climate, even if international designers and brands like Prada, Louis Vuitton, Mango or Issey Miyake give a nod to it and you're dying for it. Keep the place and occasion in view. You cannot wear slithery python textures to work or staid fabrics for a wedding (unless you coordinate well)! And remember, work wear needs to have absorbency and comfort as it's a whole-day wear. Little wonder that up-the-rung shirt brands have the '2-ply' talk spilled all over their hoardings! A 2-ply yarn is a twist of two yarns-made-into-one for increased strength and moisture absorbing quality. Also, always double-check the shrinkage before buying. A lot of shopkeepers don't let the truth out. Fabrics like pure cotton, denim and knit, shrink at least 10 per cent of their original size. Pick what you love and not what's 'in'. Now, just go on a binge and experiment. As we said, you know your body better and the mirror never lies!

Remember

• Keep your build in mind while combining fabrics. What works for others may not work for you.

• Mix textures - medium with massive, medium with light or even super-heavy with medium. •If a texture is accentuated, play the colour down or go for a monochromatic palette.

• Don't layer heavy fabrics like jute, thick tweeds and the like. If you must, then try chiffons, georgettes and other fluid fabrics under them. But know a little about weights. Chiffon can tear when stitched with heavy leather.

• If fur lures you, try to go for faux thingies. Don't buy fur unless you're sure its legal or from a licensed brand. Cities/towns with warmer climates call for just scarves or collars in fur - not mammoth coats.

• Tweeds are in - the '50s style Bernat Klein type, Scottish houndstooth, Irish speckle and herringbone. They work well for the Indian climate. International designers like Badgley Mischka, Donna Karan and Oscar de la Renta favour it, so why should you lag behind?

• Fabrics with wrinkles, crimps, ruffles, fine pleats and quilting are a rage. • Kaleidoscopic heavy knits are everywhere.

• Finally, treated denims, chiffons, satins, silks and cottons are all-time favourites.