• Comfort, affordability, difficulty of upkeep and personal style also factor into which type of dress fabric one chooses.dresses image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
  
  Fabric for dresses is often dictated by where and when the dress is worn, the season, the temperature and climate it's worn in and the occasion it is for. Often dresses made for seasons other than summer utilize thicker fabrics to retain warmth and comfort. Dresses are made from a variety of fabrics and new fashion trends keep churning out new fabrics and mixes of fabrics to keep fashion moving forward. Nowadays very few dresses are completely one fabric or another. Comfort, affordability, difficulty of upkeep and personal style also factor into which type of dress fabric one chooses.
  
  

Cotton

• Cotton remains an all-natural fabric that is light and durable. It is often blended with other fabrics to increase stretch, softness and durability. Unlike many other fabrics, cotton can be machine-washed with little shrinkage. It retains its shape well and when treated with care can last a long time.
  
  

Synthetics

• Synthetics include polyester, nylon and rayon -- all man-made fibers spun together to create fabrics. These fibers are durable and can be machine-washed and offer a dress stretch. They do, however, catch flame more readily than do other fabrics.
  
  

Wool

• A heavier fabric, wool is natural and usually used for basic dresses along with cotton. Not usually used as a fancy dress material, wool is durable and can be machine-washed. Due to its thickness wool dresses will shrink and if wool is used on its own, the material can cause the wearer discomfort as it is an itchy fabric.
  
  

Silk

• Silk remains fragile because of its upkeep requirements. Though the fabric is smooth, soft and sleek, it's not machine-washable and requires dry-cleaning. Silk is often used for fancy dresses and remains a thin fabric on its own. Silk is more expensive because of the style, feel and appeal.