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Choosing a fabric with the right texture and drape is always important, but never more so when making a circle skirt. Unless you are trying for a felt poodle-skirt look, you need a fabric that is soft enough to flow over your hips yet firm enough to spin. The hand-test is a good judge; slide your arm under a length of unfolded fabric and then bend your elbow up so that the fabric flows down over your hand. It will flow the same way over your hips. Do not make excuses because of price or color; if it does not drape properly, pass it by... or consider a very flared gored skirt, a stiffer costume look that would suit the stiffer fabric.
PS: Synthetic costume fabrics are usually polyester. Natural fibers, like silk, rayon and cotton, helps regulate body temperature more effectively than synthetic. You will sweat a lot less in natural fibers.
The standard circle skirt is made with 2 half-circles. 'Pro' skirts are often 3 half-circles. The more half-circles, the heavier the skirt will be. If you are working with a normal or heavy-weight fabric, do not use an elastic waistband if the skirt contains more than 3 half-circles: the weight is likely to pull the skirt to your knees. Use a reinforced waistband with a secure closing (hooks and eyes recommended) or tie closure.
If you are making a 'Pro' skirt, your end goal is to position one seam at your center back, one seam over the top of your right leg, and one seam over the top of your left leg. This means there is one entire half circle in the front between the tops of your legs. This makes it easy to have slits that show off your legs, if that is what you want. It also makes the skirt seams look balanced.
If you need a circle skirt in a hurry, consider making a gored skirt. Make a gore pattern from one-sixteenth of a circle and then mark the grain line right down the middle... This eliminates a lot of the bias (and stretching of bias). Sew 12 - 16 of these gores together and you will have a very circular-looking skirt. It will drape differently than a 'real' circle skirt (because there's much less bias in it) but it will flare out very nicely.
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- Silk Charmeuse: this has a sheen that looks good under both natural and stage light. It comes in a broad range of weights (12mm - 40mm); unless you have a reason to use the lighter weight (sometimes known as silk satin), a moderate 19mm weight will give you best service.
- Synthetic Charmeuse: There is a fine line between crepe-back satin (too stiff) and Charmeuse. Unfortunately, and especially with synthetic fabric, crepe-back may be sold as charmeuse. The hand-test should be the final judge.
- Crepe de Chine: less sheen and more texture than charmeuse, which means it is stage-worthy for the folkloric or tribal corners of the costume spectrum as well as the orientale.
- Habotai (known as China Silk in the lighter weights): Skirts advertised as silk at a cheap price are probably a lighter weight habotai and will not be durable or opaque. The heavier weights cost about the same as Silk Charmeuse, but have a different kind of drape and sheen.
- Rayon Challis: No sheen, which makes it suitable for folkloric or tribal. Be careful about the weight; it can be very heavy or very light; if you make a heavy skirt, then you'll need a waistband that can hold it up.
- Synthetic or Art silk: avoid lining material fabric. Look for distinctive texture, weave or color to make it stage-worthy.
- Cotton: the right color and texture works for folkloric or tribal, especially in conjunction with hip scarves and overskirts and/or a striking hem treatment. Check for the right feel and drape.
- Velvet or any fabric with nap: if you must have a velvet circle skirt, make a circular gored skirt. Another option is a 6-gore skirt with an a-line shape and quarter-circle gussets inset into the seams -- that gets you a big skirt fast.
- Exception to the rule about avoiding soft droopy fabrics; Chiffon and similar fabrics can be exquisite if you cut a LOT of half-circles and gather them into a yoke or waistband.
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