Online Fabric Stores for 2026
People ask me this critical costuming question all the time: Where can I reliably buy fabric online?
I have some sources and recommendations for costuming fabric suppliers, but I have got to give you some advice about ordering fabric online first. I want you to be smart with your dollars and not end up with a pile of fabric that does not work out. When shopping for fabric online, I recommend that you:
Do some research on the kinds of fabric you may need for your project. Search using phrases like, “types of fabric for sewing a coat,” or “types of fabric used for sewing gowns.” This one can be harder since there are tons of types of fabrics, but there is a decent amount of overlap. One kind of fabric can be used for different types of apparel. If you are not sure, it’s okay to ask a friend, or you can just send me a message!
Order swatches first. Seeing the color and feeling the fabric between your fingers is so important. When I am sourcing fabrics for costumes, I order swatches to make sure the color is right, the sheen will work, and the weight of the fabric is great. I can get a feeling for the stretch and the drape. Sometimes I source fabrics from several different online stores when I am putting a more elaborate costume together. Having swatches to compare in person eliminates so much guess work for me as a custom fantasy costume maker.
Order ahead. It is my experience that most online fabric stores need several days to fill your order. Add on a several more days for shipping, and the lead time can easily get to two weeks or longer. Yes, that does mean that once I’ve ordered swatches followed by my yardage, it usually takes at least a month to have my fabric in hand.
Order extra. I usually end up order about 20% more fabric than I need. Sometimes I will order even more than that depending on the project. Too many times, I have been a quarter yard short and had to wait for more fabric to arrive. Talk about painful; let alone running the risk of the supplier being out of stock which is nothing short of AGONY!
Last thing to mention is that none of these links are sponsored. These are just places I like to shop. Now, onto the list of fabric stores that I have found to be reliable for me as a costume designer!
Some of my favorite fabric stores are:
Zelouf Fabrics - This online store is just great for fashion fabrics. They allow customers to order up to 10 swatches at a time for free and only charge for shipping the swatches. I really like their jacquards, Mikado satins, and twills. Their Princess Koshibo is a particularly special find. Koshibo is a premium crepe like fabric from Korea. Scuba and ity prints are great for dresses here too. Zelouf is one of my favorite online stores.
Online Fabric Store - A large variety of apparel fabrics including linen, faux suede, scuba, gabardine, and cotton gauze. Heads up that Online Fabric Store has a TON of upholstery fabrics too. Check the description to make sure the kind of fabric is for apparel uses and isn’t too heavy. They really have quite an expansive inventory and I have shopped here for years.
Fabric Wholesale Direct - This is a standard cosplay haunt. Here I often find great organza, shantung, and super nice twill options. Fabric Wholesale Direct carries some truly gorgeous silks as well. I have shopped here a ton and rely on their inexpensive swatches. I have fantastic luck with their broadcloth and have used their interfacing too.
DFW Fabric Mart - This store is local to me, but they also ship. I really like their fabrics, especially for gowns, and the staff is lovely. DFW Fabric Mart is much beloved by the Dallas cosplay community. They carry interesting mesh and lace fabrics. They have some unique trims and appliques. I like their power mesh a lot too.
Mood Fabrics - Mood is a gold standard online. The pricing is more expensive, but I can always find interesting premium fabrics at Mood. I have had my eye on some boiled wool to make myself a custom peacoat for a while now.
Now, I also keep the following fabric stores in mind:
Vogue Fabrics - This was one of the first places I found around 2012 that sold hair canvas for kilt making. They have an extremely good selection of trims which can be pretty challenging to find online.
Spandex World - Just like the name says, Spandex World has many different finishes and weights available. Good quality stuff.
Renaissance Fabrics - is a favorite among faire goers and historical costumers.
Famoré - Mainly known for their scissors and snips, Famoré carry tons of good quilting cottons. They also carry Yaya Han’s Cosplay fabrics and trims. Famoré is a pillar among the cosplay community and sponsor many craftsmanship contests. Their coveted “Best in Show” engraved scissors are a sought-after prize.
Linda’s - This is one of my very favorite quilt shops. They have been way ahead of their time on the eCommerce front and have so many great quilting cottons. Linda’s is local to me in the Dallas area, and I have met them in personal several times. (Side note: one of the employees is a Cosmere fan!) I really love their passion for the cosplay community. They carry Yaya Han’s Cosplay fabrics and trims too!
Fabric Fanatics - Is a local shop in Dallas, TX that sells gorgeous batiks. They also do custom laser acrylic cutting services which is really cool.
Cherrywood Fabrics - has so many colors of cotton solids. I turn to them when I am needing an incredibly specific shade of cotton quilting cloth. I find it refreshing to shop with them because they absolutely break out of the 30 or so standard colors.
Dharma Trading Co. - This is by far the best place for plain white fabrics ready for you to dye. They have helpful dyeing tutorials too.
FabricLA - has lots of felt and its nice stuff. They have some synthetic furs as well.
Big Z Fabric - This store is so fun. They carry a ton of fur, minky, and vinyl.
Pure Silks - I purchased some beautiful yellow silk here. Heads up shipping took a really long time.
Michael’s - I do shop here sometimes, but I always select the filter for “Michaels” as the retailer. It is way too crazy for me to try and shop with all their 3rd party retailers included. I really like that they carry Yaya Han’s cosplay fabrics and am looking forward to when stores near me will carry fabric.
Notable sewing suppliers:
Wawak - A pillar of our craft for everything sewing except fabric. Wawak is known for garment construction supplies. I snatched up their Gutterman thread swatch chart (with real thread) as quickly as possible. Their in-house brand is great. I rely on Wawak for all kinds of stuff like needles, thread, interfacing, grommets, and ironing supplies.
Zipper Shipper - One of my friends told me about this clever store for all things zippers. Yes, there is such a thing as a heavy duty separating invisible zipper.
OESD - I am forever shopping at OESD for supplies like thread and stabilizer for my embroidery machine in case that is relevant to you.
One last pro tip? Make a muslin mockup. A muslin is a prototype version of your costume using similar, but less expensive fabric. You get to do all the prototyping trial and error on this cheap version before cutting into your more expensive fabric. Do it.