Experiments and simulations revealed the effects of fabric mechanical properties on fabric MIT drape behavior. An improved MIT device detects fabric drape shapes with greater reproducibility. A nonlinear finite element method combined with an incremental method in which an elastic shell models the fabric simulated large deformation of a fabric sample. A comparison of experimental and simulation results suggested that the simulation was valid for estimating fabric MIT drape properties and that fabric MIT drape properties depended on fabric bending and torsional rigidity but not on extensional and shearing rigidity. 15 refs.