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Identical home decor fabrics, different prices?

6 years ago

I've noticed that some fabrics from different brands seem to be identical except for the color schemes. One brand is more expensive than the other. Is the cheaper one a copycat, or is the more expensive one just charging more? Who actually makes the fabric? Are these brands just putting their name on something made by a different company entirely?

Examples:

Stout Wyoming and Richloom Prescott

Fabricut Astern and Mill Creek Quintell

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Comments (5)

palimpsest
6 years ago
Yes some fabrics are exclusive to the brand and some are not. Some fabrics are made by a mill and purchased by several companies and branded under them.
pippiep thanked palimpsest
pippiep
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks! So all is not lost if I fall for a more expensive or discontinued fabric... I might be able to still find it under another name.
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I've got a pretty good background in retail and in fairness, stores aren't going to carry what doesn't sell well. On the fabrics and the like, let's be realistic, if it sold in that area, it'd be carried probably in multiple places. Shelf space is expensive and to carry products that don't turn isn't a good business practice. Same with the Great Value brands. I'd guess they sell well in one area and not the other and income doesn't determine it, it's the turns (or "turnovers", aka sales). I like some of the GV brands, but I just don't shop Walmart much. That said, I do recall Kmart used to (and may still) have a disclaimer on their ads saying something like actual prices may vary due to local competition. I found it interesting that the Kmart there (a smaller town, about 20,000 people) had quite a bit of competition from Woolco, Pamida, Shopko, etc. I work in retail stores a lot and I notice Target changing stock a lot. I see new brands come in and after only a month or so, the stuff is on clearance. I imagine they are just testing things and bounce the slow movers. I question though whether they've given it a fair chance. But Target is having a lot of problems and is scrambling to try to gain some market share and a little profit. I just don't like these "supercenter" stores. Too much like the Scam's Club concept and just not for me. Bigger is not always better. In fact, often, quite the opposite.
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One Devoted Dame
6 years ago
As I understand it, fabric manufacturers have different qualities of base fabric. Same prints, same designers, but different quality bases for different price points. Expect to pay more for higher quality weave, threads, etc.

My experience is with quilting and garment fabrics, but I don't think the rules change for home decor fabric. You can tell the difference in quality by how the material looks and feels. The good stuff has a nicer hand, and a tighter weave so that when held up to light, less light comes through the fibers. Color ranges/spectrums (dots representing the different hues used for the print), found on the unprinted edge of the fabric on the bolt, are also longer in higher quality fabric.

The seller of the fabric is an important gauge in determining quality... Bargain bin places that charge $5/yard will not generally have the quality that a source selling $50/yard fabric will have.

If I am mistaken, someone out there PLEASE correct me! lol
pippiep thanked One Devoted Dame
pippiep
Original Author
6 years ago
I wonder if they are different quality if the fabric content is the same?

There is a $5.99 store nearby, but their fabrics seem to be slightly imperfect. I used some fabric where the circles on the selvage showed that it was printed off register, but I couldn't tell from looking at the fabric pattern itself.

I don't think the less expensive brands like Richloom and Mill Creek are cheaper-feeling fabrics. I think the two examples in my original post are truly identical, even by weave.

There are a few cheaper brands that I don't like the feel of, though! Every sample I've gotten from those brands feel terrible to me and I've been avoiding using those fabrics.

I'm starting to think about re-upholstering some things in my house. I've never done it before, but it looks like something I'd really enjoy.
One Devoted Dame
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I wonder if they are different quality if the fabric content is the same?

Yes, the quality can be different, even if the content (cotton, silk, wool, poly, flax, blend, etc.) is the same. If you really want to go down a rabbit hole, lol, google "greige goods fabric quality" and you'll discover a lot.

A note on brands... Wal-mart can sell a certain fabric, and a quilt store can sell the exact brand, exact print, exact designer, but the quality (and price) is obviously different. It's the difference in the run of greige goods used. The company sells the lower quality to discount retailers, and the higher quality to boutique stores.

If you don't intend to make an heirloom that lasts several generations, or if you plan to reupholster regularly, then I think you'll be fine with carefully-selected bargain fabrics. :-)
pippiep thanked One Devoted Dame

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