Basics

Right side or wrong side? How to really tell

Reading the stitches, the curl test, print and sheen: how to find the right side for sure. And why with some fabrics you never will: there isn't one.

Under the magnifier: right side with vertical rows of Vs, wrong side with loops

From the series Learned the hard way.

I once spent hours turning a piece of fabric back and forth, holding it up to the window and looking at it through a magnifying glass. In the end it turned out to be a double jersey. It has two right sides, so there was nothing to find.

The right side is the nice outside you see on the finished garment. The wrong side is on the inside. Since instructions keep saying “right sides together”, you need to know which is which. Here you'll learn how to tell, which popular tips aren't reliable and what to do when nothing helps.

The most important step comes first: finding out what kind of fabric you have. That decides which test works at all.

What you need

Daylight, ideally by a window
Phone camera with zoom or a magnifying glass
A scrap or a corner to test on
Chalk, washi tape or small safety pins for marking

Step 1

First: what kind of fabric is it?

Three fabric swatches with a folded corner: single jersey with a different back, double jersey with an identical back, twill

There are roughly three cases, and each needs different tests:

Single jersey (plain jersey, e.g. viscose or cotton jersey, a T-shirt fabric like for Merle): it has a clear right and wrong side. Here the search is worth it.
Double-faced knits such as interlock, ponte (Punta di Roma) or rib knit: both sides are knitted the same way. There are two right sides. Hanne, for example, is sewn from ponte.
Wovens such as poplin, linen, twill or denim: some have a clear face, many solid wovens look the same on both sides.

If the invoice or label says “interlock”, “ponte”, “Punta di Roma”, “double jersey” or “rib”, you can usually skip the search. Patterned or textured versions are the exception, they often do have a face.

Step 2

Single jersey: read the stitches

Look at the fabric up close, ideally in daylight and with your phone camera's zoom. Stretch it slightly widthwise so the stitches open up.

Right side: vertical rows of little V shapes, like tiny braids. They run parallel to the lengthwise edge.
Wrong side: horizontal rows of little loops or bumps. It looks a little rougher and busier.

This is the most reliable test for jersey, because it shows directly how the fabric is knitted.

Step 3

The curl test

Jersey stretched crosswise, top and bottom edges roll to the front, the sides roll to the back

Single jersey curls at cut edges, and it follows fixed rules:

Gently stretch a crosswise edge (the edge across the rows of Vs): it rolls towards the right side.
The lengthwise edges roll towards the wrong side.

You'll find contradicting advice about this online, so use the curl test as a second piece of evidence, not the only one. If it agrees with what the stitches told you, you can be sure.

Step 4

Print, colour, sheen and surface

Printed fabric: strong, sharp print on the front, pale and blurry on the back

With many fabrics the surface gives the face away:

Printed fabrics: on the front the print is sharp and strong, on the back it's pale, blurry or almost white.
Printed selvedge: if there's a name, a copyright or colour dots, they're usually printed on the right side.
Sweatshirt fleece and French terry: the loops or the brushed, fluffy side go on the inside.
Twill and denim: the diagonal lines are clearer on the front. Denim is darker on the front and lighter on the back.
Satin: the shiny side is the right side. Velvet and corduroy: the side with the pile.
In general: the right side is usually smoother, more even and more intense in colour.

Step 5

What isn't reliable

Selvedge with holes and a fabric bolt, both with question marks

Two tips get passed around a lot, but they aren't reliable:

The holes along the selvedge: during finishing, the fabric is stretched on pins along the edge. Whether the holes feel smooth or raised on the right side depends on which side the pins went in, and every mill does it differently. That's why sources contradict each other here, and after washing you often can't see anything at all.
How the fabric sits on the bolt: some fabrics are wound right side in, others right side out. It varies by manufacturer and shop.

Use both as a hint at most, once everything else already agrees.

Step 6

No answer after ten minutes? Then there probably isn't one

Three pattern pieces, all marked with a cross on the same side

If you can't find a difference after ten minutes of looking closely in daylight, you most likely have a fabric with two identical sides: double jersey, interlock, ponte, rib or a solid woven. In that case: if you can't see a difference, nobody will see it on the finished garment either.

One rule still matters: use the same side for all pieces. Tiny differences in colour or sheen don't show as long as everything matches. They do show when the sleeve and the front look different next to each other.

Pick the side you like better.
Mark the wrong side of every piece right when you cut it, e.g. with a chalk cross, a piece of washi tape or a small safety pin.
Before sewing, lay two pieces next to each other in daylight and check that they look the same.