The Different Types Of Silk

•       Elaborate and rich fabric, initially woven with gold and silver threads
•  Sometimes adorned with precious and semiprecious stones and embroidery
• Used in upholstery and draperies
• Also used for special occasion dresses and costume pieces

• Strong, hard-wearing and luxuriant

• The silk we have in mind when we think of ‘traditional’ silk, also known as silk satin
• The front of the fabric is in a shimmery satin weave
• The back of the fabric is a flattened crêpe

• Charmeuse has more drape than crêpe de chine and works well for scarves, blouses and lingerie

• Literal translation from French means “rag” – although in our context it’s far from it!
• A light, matt fabric made from fine twisted yarns, spaced out to make the fabric transparent
• Dimension is added to garments by the creation of billows of fabric
• Unless it is used for scarves, garments with chiffon normally require lining or backing

• Chiffon is very lightweight making it ideal for special occasion dresses, scarves, even linings

• A lightweight fabric made by fibres, where part of them are twisted clockwise and others in a counter-clockwise direction. These fibres are then woven in a plain-weave fabric
• The twisted fibres give crêpe its distinctive ‘pebbly’ look and feel
• Comes in many different varieties – crêpe de Chine, Moroccan crêpe and crêpe georgette
• Ideal for dresses, suits and evening wear
• Literally means crepe (fabric) of China

• Floaty and soft

• A strong double-thread silk, usually resulting in a rough yarn and irregularity in sheerness or weight
• Feels coarse
• Black specks which occasionally appear in the fabric are part of the original cocoon of the silk worm Removing them would both weaken the fabric and destroy part of its beauty and character. They are inherent to Dupion silk fabric and should not be considered as defects in weaving

• Strong and lustrous

TIPS

• Shot colours, the use of two different coloured threads in weaving, work well with Dupion silk. This gives the fabric different shades in the light

• Medium-weight fabric, woven from spun silk fibres
• Has a soft lustre and a lavish feel, reminiscent of high quality suede
• Has a fluid drape
• First made in Japan

• Durable
• Resists wrinkles

• Sheer, translucent fabric in loose open-weaveLightweight, lighter than chiffon and organza
• A fine type of silk known as ‘gazzatum’ was imported in medieval Europe around the 13^th century
• Used for skirts and dresses

• Floaty and soft

• Fine, lightweight, plain weave fabric
• Grainy texture and sheer feel
• Less lustrous and heavier than chiffon
• Named after French dressmaker Georgette de la Plante
• Used for blouses, dresses, evening gowns and scarves

• Doesn’t hold creases
• Drapes beautifully

• Also known as China silk, Habutai, Pongee
• The “classic” silk fabric
• Was first used to line kimonos
• Plain-weave fabric
• Its weight can range from 5mm to the more heavy 12mm. Most scarves are made of 8mm Habotai

• Soft and lightweight. Habotai silk is a sheer fabric and has a graceful drape and smooth surface.
• Great for scarves.

• Known as ‘raw silk’
• Made from the short fibres left after combing and carding, so it doesn’t shine like many other silk fabrics
• Very versatile fabric
• Has a matte surface and rough finish – has a ‘nubby’ feel
• Doesn’t show pin holes
• Off-white in colour. It is easily distinguished from other types of silk for the subtle flecks on it, which are natural particles of the cocoon

• Looks similar to cotton, but still feels soft against the skin
• Drapes better than cotton and resists wrinkling
• Durable
• Easy to care for
• Great for travelling

TIPS

• Should be handwashed. Will look better after every wash than with dry-cleaning

• Lightweight, sheer, thin, open-weave fabric with smooth, flat finish
• Used for veils and base for embellished fabrics
• Curtains, screens and netting over beds

• Strong, stiff and durable
• Crisp drape

TIPS

• Typically needs to be carefully steamed and not pressed (so it does not create water spots)

• Also known as ‘shantung’
• A type of wild silk, that is produced by silkworms that feed on oak and juniper leaves
• As the worm is not grown in a controlled environment, the moth hatches from the cocoon and interrupts the filament length, resulting in short and coarse fibres, instead of long and lustrous ones
• Usually comes from India or China. The India silk generally has more lustre to it
• Feels coarse and is delicate and stiff
• Difficult to dye and most often available in its natural colour, a creamy tan

• Both lightweight and airy, as well as dressy, giving cool comfort to the wearer
• Does not wrinkle easily
• Good for travelling

• A blend of the two luxury fabrics – pure silk and the fine wool that comes from the undercoat of the cashmere goat
• The natural crimp it contains aids the fibre to interlock during processing. This enables it to be spun into a very fine and lightweight fabric
• The number of crimp correlates with the fineness of the spun yarn and the softness of the finished product
• The fabric retains the small air spaces trapped between fibres which makes it warm without being heavy

• Luxuriously soft and lightweight with good insulation quality
• Extremely warm
• Does not scratch like other wool

• Difficult to weave together in order to keep the separate fibres from unraveling
• As warm as silk, but of a heavier weight
• Thicker than silk on its own

• Durable
• Has a superior substance and body to plain cotton
• Less slippery than silk due to its heavier weight

• Used to create finer fashions and premium apparel

• Much like our other silk mixes, the feel and drape of pure cotton linen is improved when blended with pure silk

• Pure wool on its own does not necessarily feel wonderful against your skin, but blending it with silk will create such a fabric
• Patra uses Merino wool in its garments, the finest sheep wool fabric in the world, famed for its superior shine and softness
• Merino wool has natural elasticity

• The addition of Merino wool means that this mix has the maximum absorbent quality and has great breathability. It absorbs moisture and transfers it to the air, creating a dry layer next to the skin, as well as absorbing odours from the body
• Resistant to dirt and wrinkling
• Has the ability to hold dye
• Provides warmth without adding weight
• Non-scratchy wool
• Has a higher level of UV light protection