Fabric Collector: How I Finally Got All 11 Fabrics (After 20 Hours of Gameplay)
The achievement that taught me patience. The optimal buying order, shop upgrade requirements, and why buying expensive fabrics first is a trap.
📑 In this guide
What is the Fabric Collector achievement?
Fabric Collector is one of those achievements that sounds like a shopping spree: own at least 1 unit of every fabric in the game. I saw this at around hour 15 and thought "oh, easy, I'll just buy everything." Famous last words. 🛍️
Here's the catch: there are 11 fabrics total, and buying one of each costs $5,460. That's a LOT of in-game money, especially if you're still in the early-to-mid game. And some fabrics are locked behind shop upgrades or story progression, so you can't just buy everything immediately.
The achievement details:
- Achievement: Fabric Collector
- Requirement: Own at least 1 unit of all 11 fabrics
- Total cost: $5,460
- Difficulty: Time-consuming (requires money and progression)
- Reward: Achievement unlocked + completionist satisfaction
I spent about 20 hours of gameplay getting this achievement. I made every mistake possible — buying expensive fabrics too early, not realizing some unlock through story, and wasting money on duplicates before getting one of each. Let me save you the pain.
All 11 fabrics and how to get them
Here's the complete list, sorted by price:
- Cotton Pink — $120 — Available from start
- Tulle Ivory — $150 — Available from start
- Linen Beige — $200 — Available from start
- Lace White — $280 — Available from start
- Chiffon Rose — $300 — Available from start
- Lace Cream — $360 — Available from start
- Satin Blue — $500 — Available from start
- Silk White — $600 — Available from start
- Brocade Red — $800 — Requires shop upgrade #2
- Silk Gold — $900 — Requires shop upgrade #3
- Velvet Black — $950 — Requires shop upgrade #4
Notice that the three most expensive fabrics are locked behind shop upgrades. This is important — you can't rush this achievement. You need to progress through the game and upgrade your shop before you can even buy the last three.
The exact buying strategy (save yourself the headache)
If you just want the optimal path, here it is — screenshot this:
Phase 1: Buy the 8 cheap fabrics immediately (Cotton Pink through Silk White). Total: $3,010. You'll use these constantly for commissions, so this isn't wasted money.
Phase 2: Grind commissions until you can afford shop upgrade #2 (~$2,000). Buy Brocade Red ($800). You now have 9/11 fabrics.
Phase 3: Grind more commissions for shop upgrades #3 and #4 (~$4,000 total). Buy Silk Gold ($900) and Velvet Black ($950). Achievement unlocked! 🎉
Why this works: you spread the cost over time, you're using the cheap fabrics for commissions along the way (so they pay for themselves), and you're not stuck with expensive fabrics you can't use yet. Duh, in hindsight — but it took me 20 hours to figure this out.
My failed attempts (in painful chronological order)
I'm sharing these because I guarantee at least one mirrors what you were about to try. Learn from my wallet's suffering. 💸
What I did: Bought Silk Gold and Velvet Black as soon as I had $1,850
Why it failed: I didn't realize they were locked behind shop upgrades. I had the money but couldn't buy them yet. So I bought... other stuff. Expensive stuff I didn't need. What was I thinking.
What I did: Bought 3 units of Silk White "because it seemed useful"
Why it failed: The achievement only requires ONE of each fabric. I spent $1,800 on Silk White when I should have been saving for Brocade Red. Duplicates are useless for this achievement.
What I did: Saved all my money for fabrics, never upgraded the shop
Why it failed: I had $5,000 saved but couldn't buy Brocade Red, Silk Gold, or Velvet Black because my shop was still level 1. The three most expensive fabrics are locked behind upgrades. Duh.
What I did: Bought cheap fabrics first, upgraded shop gradually, bought expensive fabrics last
Why it worked: I followed the phase strategy above. Took me about 20 hours total, but I got there. The moment Velvet Black hit my inventory and the achievement popped, I literally did a little victory dance. My cat was concerned. Worth it.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Here's exactly how I'd do it again:
Phase 1: Early game (hours 1-5)
- Buy the 8 cheap fabrics as you earn money. Don't save up — buy them as soon as you can afford each one. You'll use them for commissions, so they pay for themselves.
- Focus on commissions, not achievements. The Fabric Collector achievement will come naturally as you progress. Don't rush it.
- Save your game before big purchases. If you accidentally buy a duplicate, reload. No shame.
Phase 2: Mid game (hours 6-12)
- Grind commissions for shop upgrade #2. You need ~$2,000 for the upgrade, plus $800 for Brocade Red.
- Buy Brocade Red as soon as the shop upgrade completes. It's a great fabric for dramatic commissions, so it's not wasted money.
- Start saving for shop upgrade #3. You'll need another ~$2,000.
Phase 3: Late game (hours 13-20)
- Grind for shop upgrades #3 and #4. Total cost: ~$4,000.
- Buy Silk Gold ($900) and Velvet Black ($950). These are the final two fabrics.
- Watch the achievement pop. Enjoy the satisfaction. You've earned it.
Common mistakes I see people make
❌ Buying duplicates
The achievement only requires ONE of each fabric. Duplicates are wasted money. Check your inventory before buying.
❌ Ignoring shop upgrades
The three most expensive fabrics are locked behind upgrades. You can't buy them with money alone. Progress first, shop second.
❌ Buying expensive fabrics too early
Silk Gold and Velvet Black are amazing, but you can't use them until late game. Buy cheap fabrics first — they'll actually help you earn money faster.
❌ Rushing the achievement
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy the game, do commissions, and the achievement will come naturally. Don't burn out trying to speedrun it.
Final thoughts
Fabric Collector taught me that Dressmaker's economy is designed to reward patience. The cheap fabrics are genuinely useful, the expensive fabrics are worth the wait, and the journey to owning everything is actually fun if you don't rush it. Plus, once you have all 11 fabrics, every commission becomes a puzzle you can actually solve.
If you're still working on it, plug your current fabric collection into our fabric calculator and see which commissions you can tackle next. Good luck, fellow tailor — happy collecting. 🛍️🏆