How to Search our Online Store & Other Frequently Asked Questions

 
       WEBSITE UPDATES!
We're updating our website! If you experience problems, please email Avery at service@britexfabrics.com for assistance. 

 
WHAT IS BRITEX FABRICS?
You can learn more about the history of this family-run, iconic San Francisco fabric and sewing emporium on the Our History page. For a quick virtual tour, visit our store floor pages. Information about some of the members of the fantabulous and creative Britex Fabrics team is found on our Meet the Team page.

We are both an online store and a physical store! Our physical store is located at 117 Post Street in downtown San Francisco, and consists of two floors packed full of scrumptious fabric, delicate lace, marvelous trims, a counter to ceiling wall of buttons, and other textile goodies. We sell a small collection of buttons, lace trim and notions from our brick and mortar store in our online store…..and in answer to fervent pleas from dedicated customers, we have just started making available a carefully picked selection of our unique wools and silks in our online store. Now you can buy our fabrics from almost anywhere in the world!

We have many, many more items in our brick and mortar San Francisco store than we do in our online store. If you don’t see what you need, you may just need an excuse to visit our amazing store in San Francisco in Union Square at 117 Post Street. You may also email us service@britexfabrics.com or call us at 415.392.2910 Monday - Friday, 11am - 4pm PST with your query.

 

BRITEX HOLIDAY HOURS 

New Years Day: closed
Chinese New Year parade, close early
Memorial Day: closed
Independence Day, July 4th
Labor Day: closed
Thanksgiving Eve: close at 4pm
Thanksgiving: closed
Christmas Eve: close at 4:30 pm
Christmas Day: closed
New Years Eve: close at 4:30 pm

 

I DON'T SEE WHAT I WANT IN YOUR ONLINE STORE! 

We have many, many more items in our brick and mortar San Francisco store at 117 Post Street than we do in our online store. If you don’t see what you need, you may just need an excuse to visit our amazing store in San Francisco (otherwise known as fog town). You may also email us service@britexfabrics.com or call us at 415.392.2910 Monday - Friday, 11am - 4pm PST with your query.

 

WHAT DOES "LIMITED STOCK" MEAN?

"Limited Stock" means that we do not have an additional bolt in our warehouse, and the fabric is not reorderable.

 

SWATCH SERVICES

ONLINE FABRIC SWATCHES: We are glad to mail you fabric swatches from any of the fabrics in our online store. Swatchs of online fabric are approximately 2" by 4 1/5". We offer swatches of ribbon or lace trim through our Customized Swatch Service.  Fortunately, ordering fabric swatches in our online store is painless; just look for Add Swatch to Cart on the fabric page! We will send you as many swatches as you need for $2.00 each, so that you’ll have plenty of fabrics to drool over and compare. The swatch shipping fee is $5.00 for domestic orders, and approximately $12 for international orders. For more information, visit our Fabric Swatches page.  

IMPORTANT: There is a minimum 5 business day turnaround for all online swatch orders of over 10 pieces, including USPS Priority swatches. With orders of over 25 swatches, we reserve the right to refuse service.  

CUSTOMIZED SWATCH SERVICE: We also offer a Customized Custom Swatch Service where we send you hand-chosen fabric, ribbon, and trim swatches from our brick and mortar store. Each Customized Fabric Swatch Shopper Service is good towards two projects. Sadly, we cannot swatch couture lace fabric. We happily ship to most countries. Just buy our the Customized Custom Swatch Service online, fill out the online request form, and let us perform our magic!

 

BRITEX FABRICS GIFT CERTIFICATES

We sell separate gift certificates for our online store and our San Francisco store. Gift certificates for our online and for our San Francisco store can be bought online. Gift certificates  for our San Francisco can also be bought in the store or by telephone at 415-392-2910. To use your online store Gift Certificate, just enter your gift certificate or coupon code during the initial part of your check-out process.

 

SHIPPING

All packages are shipped by USPS First Class or USPS Priority mail, and domestic packages over $100 require a destination signature. Once your package ships, we’ll send you an email with a link to track your order. You can check the status of your order by logging into your account. If you have any questions about your order please contact us at service@britexfabrics.com or call us at 415.392.2910 Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm PST.


TAX EXEMPT SERVICES FOR CALIFORNIA RESELLERS

Yes! You’ll need to take these steps:

    1. Fax me your California seller/resale license’s permit.  Our fax number is 415-392-3906. Write Attention: Avery on your fax.
    2. Register as an online customer at britexfabrics.com (if you have not already)
    3. Email me at service@britexfabrics.com, and I’ll change your online profile to Tax Exempt Business.

 

FABRIC CARE
Unless otherwise noted, we recommend dry cleaning only. We do not recieve fabric care guidelines from our manufacturers. 

 
COLOR ONLINE
We take a persnicketous amount of effort to accurately describe the wondrous colorations of our products; however technology often foils us in our tracks! Due to color differences among computer monitors, we can't guarantee that the color you see on your screen is an exact color reproduction of a textile or notion, additionally color may also vary a wee bit between product lots. If you are unsure about a color shade, please take the time to order a fabric swatch or a small amount of trim to double-check the color.

RIBBON, LACE, FABRIC, & BUTTONS FAQS
Ribbon Color Matching: If you are ordering ribbons for color matching purposes, please email us after you place your order so that we can label each ribbon with their color name.
French Ribbon Sizing: Imported ribbons sometimes can vary slightly in size, as much as 1/8" larger or smaller than the stated size. We measure widths as carefully as possible, however sizing can sometimes be off a smidgen!
Petersham Grosgrain Ribbon: Our petersham grosgrain ribbon is a 100% rayon ribbon ideal for use in millinery and dressmaking. It differs from regular grosgrain in that it has an open, saw-tooth edge which allows it to form a rounded curve. This quality makes it ideal for facings on skirt and trouser waistbands, and allows it to lay flat, rather than create puckers or gaps when laid against the inside or outside of a hat crown. Gentle steaming can help in this process.
Hand-Dyed Silk and Hand-Dyed Velvet Bias Ribbons: Due to the beautifully creative process by which these ribbons are dyed, the color distribution and saturation can change considerably from lot to lot. This is part of the charm of these hand-crafted ribbons. Additionally, these scrumptious hand-dyed ribbons are made from bias-cut fabric, so have a wondrous drape and diagonal seams along their length. Please take this feature into account when planning your projects, as unseamed yardage cannot be guaranteed.
Lace Trim Fiber Content: We’d love to note the fiber content of all of our lace trims, however we will include it only if we have written confirmation from the manufacturer or distributor.
Button Sizing: We size our buttons in inches, and also include the traditional linge size number in the item’s SKU (it is on the very end of the SKU.) Ligne is a sizing system for buttons that traces its roots to the system of measurements used in France before the adoption of the metric system in the 18th century. Ligne is still the internationally recognized standard for button sizing. A ligne measurement is inches divided by .0888, or cm divided by 2.2558. For button sizing conversions, please refer to our Button Sizing Chart.   All square buttons are measured along the side, not diagonally. Thicker or domed buttons almost always require a longer buttonhole.  Button sizes refer to the button’s diameter. Thicker or domed buttons may require a longer buttonhole. For exact button measurements, print our Button Sizing Chart, and then check the size before placing your order.
Fabric Stock: If a fabric is marked "Limited Stock" in our online store, it means that we do not have additional yardage in our warehouse.

ACCOUNT UPDATING
To change your email address, just log into your Britex Fabrics account, and update your email address in Account Information.
 
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