Ordering formal gown fabric online

Hi all--I'm going to be sewing a formal gown over the next few weeks, and for the first time I'm ordering fabric online. I have never purchased fabric without being able to physically handle it first (to get a good feel for the color, quality, drape, weight, etc), so I will admit I'm a little nervous. I don't have a lot of wiggle room in budget. And for formal apparel fabric in particular I have found that things like shine quality can vary enormously. And I really don't like how some fabrics in "formal" sections seem cheaper up close. So needless to say I'm a bit nervous

I was looking at fabric.com right now, because of both cost and selection. Does anyone have suggestions on ordering fabric online, or on other sites to look at?