Voile is a lightweight, sheer fabric used for clothing and curtains. Voile is the French word for veil and the well-draping fabric can be, and has been, used to make wedding veils. Silk, rayon and cotton are the three main varieties of voile, but voile lace also exists.

Voile lace is a hand cut lace that may be white or beige or dyed in many different colors. Hand cut voile lace has open spaces cut out in between the lace fabric. Voile lace is a type of cotton voile that is popular for table cloths and fabrics sold by the bolt. Voile lace, some with rich embroidery accents, is often imported from Africa.

Cotton voile is used to make lingerie, baby clothes, blouses and skirts. It is also popular for making romantic sheer drapes that pool on the floor. It looks very much like gauze and is summer weight and breezy. Some cotton voile tops such as some poet's blouses feature voile lace as decorative accents.

Silk voile is the most difficult type of voile to cut and work with as it is slippery in texture. It is also very luxurious and is also known as silk chiffon. A sheer floral print jacket to wear over a sleeveless top or dress is a classic and popular piece of clothing to sew from silk voile.

Rayon voile is very different from silk voile as it has a crepe-like texture. Crinkled rayon voile is a popular and practical choice for sewing a travel wardrobe. Sarongs and pareos, or rectangular pieces of fabric gathered at the waist for swimsuit cover-ups, are common travel uses for rayon voile.

Sometimes polyester is added to voile such as for some types of curtains. Most voile curtains are either pure cotton voile or a cotton polyester voile blend. No matter what type of voile is used for clothing or for table cloths or curtains, it still always drapes well.