Coated ceramic filler materials comprised of ceramic particles, fibers, whiskers, etc. having at least two substantially continuous coatings thereon are provided. The coatings are selected so that the interfacial shear strength between the ceramic filler material and the first coating, between coatings, or between the outer coating and the surrounding matrix material, are not equal so as to permit debonding and pull-our when fracture occurs. The resultant, multi-coated ceramic filler materials may be employed to provide composites, especially ceramic matrix composites, with increased fracture toughness. The ceramic filler materials are designed to be particularly compatible with ceramic matrices formed by directed oxidation of precursor metals, but such ceramic filler materials are also adaptable for use in many other composite material systems. In a preferred embodiment, the coatings are applied to the ceramic fiber plies or preforms by CVD. Accordingly, coating depositions which are more uniform through the preform cross-section have been achieved by assembling the preform with exterior fabric plies having greater gas permeability than the fibrous preform or fabric plies located deeper in the preform interior. In another preferred embodiment, at least one additional filler material different in some respect from a first fibrous filler material is provided to the permeable mass to be infiltrated with matrix material. Specifically, the additional filler material is provided for the purpose of tailoring at least one additional property of the self-supporting composite body to be formed not already tailored by the first fibrous filler material.