Silk has a reputation problem. Half of people think it is delicate to the point of being impractical, and the other half have ruined a blouse in a washing machine and concluded the first half were right. Neither position is quite fair to the fibre.
Silk is a protein filament, closer in behaviour to your own hair than to cotton, and it responds well to being treated as such. Understanding what it is explains both why designer silk costs what it does and how to keep it looking like it did in the shop. This is a guide to buying it properly and living with it easily.
What you are actually paying for
Silk prices vary enormously for what looks, on a rail, like the same fabric. Three variables explain most of it.
Momme weight
Momme (mm) measures the weight of silk, the way thread count measures cotton. Lightweight chiffon and georgette sit around 6 to 8mm. A good blouse-weight silk crepe de chine is 14 to 16mm. Heavy charmeuse and silk for dresses runs 19mm and above. Higher momme means more fibre, better drape, less transparency and considerably more durability. A 16mm blouse will outlast an 8mm one several times over, and it will hang instead of clinging.
Filament length
Long, unbroken filaments reeled from whole cocoons produce smooth, strong, lustrous fabric. Short broken fibres spun into yarn — often sold as silk noil or dupioni — give a matte, slubby texture. Neither is wrong, but they are different materials at different prices, and only the first has the fluid hand people mean when they say silk.
The weave
- Crepe de chine — twisted yarns, soft matte finish, excellent drape. The workhorse of good blouses.
- Charmeuse / satin — one shiny face, one matte. Fluid and unforgiving of any bump beneath it.
- Georgette — crinkled and slightly grainy, semi-sheer, holds volume rather than clinging.
- Habotai — plain, light, inexpensive. Common in linings, thin as a standalone garment.
- Organza — stiff and sheer, used for structure and volume rather than softness.
How to judge silk in your hands
You can assess a silk garment in about thirty seconds without any labels.
- Hold it to the light. Good silk glows with a shifting, multi-tonal sheen. Polyester satin has a flat, uniform, slightly white shine.
- Warm it in your palm. Silk takes on body heat quickly and feels cool again a moment after you let go. Synthetics stay clammy.
- Scrunch a handful. Silk creases and then largely releases as you smooth it. Watch how fast the wrinkles fall.
- Check the seams and hem. French seams, a narrow rolled hem and lightweight interfacing at the placket all signal a maker who knows the fabric.
- Look at the grain. A bias-cut panel drapes beautifully but must be cut generously; if a bias piece pulls at the hip, it was cut to save fabric.
One more thing worth knowing when you are shopping for designer silk Ireland stockists carry: the best silk garments are often lined or interfaced in silk too. A silk blouse with a stiff synthetic collar stand behaves like a synthetic blouse at the collar.
Caring for silk without fear
Most silk is washable. The care label often says dry clean because the manufacturer cannot control how you will do it, and because printed and dark-dyed silks can bleed. If a piece is unlined, undyed or lightly coloured, hand washing is usually kinder to the fibre than repeated solvent cleaning.
Washing
- Cool water — 30°C at most. Heat is what shrinks and dulls silk.
- A pH-neutral detergent, or a dedicated silk wash. Never anything containing enzymes or bleach; enzymes digest protein, and silk is protein.
- Ten minutes maximum, gentle movement, no wringing or twisting.
- Rinse thoroughly. A capful of white vinegar in the final rinse restores the sheen.
- Roll in a clean towel to take out water, then dry flat or on a padded hanger, away from sun and radiators.
Pressing
Iron on the lowest setting while the garment is still slightly damp, always on the reverse, with a cotton cloth between iron and silk if you are nervous. Steam from a distance works well too. Never spray water onto dry silk — the droplets leave rings.
Storing and wearing
- Hang on padded hangers; wire hangers dent the shoulders.
- Store away from direct light. Sunlight yellows white silk and fades dyes faster than any wash.
- Apply perfume and deodorant before dressing and let them dry. Alcohol and aluminium salts both damage the fibre.
- Deal with perspiration marks promptly — they set and weaken the fabric over time.
- Moths eat silk as readily as wool. Cedar or lavender in the wardrobe, and store clean.
Building a wardrobe around it
Silk earns its place by contrast. Against wool, leather or denim it looks expensive; against more silk it can tip into evening wear before you have left the house. A silk blouse under a blazer, a silk skirt with a chunky knit, a silk dress with a leather jacket — each of those works because one element is fluid and the other is structured.
It is also, quietly, an excellent layer. Silk regulates temperature well, so a fine silk top under a jumper adds warmth without bulk, and a piece like the Wool Silk Jersey Top gives you both fibres at once. For occasion dressing, silk is the safest choice in a warm room because it breathes in a way that satin-finish polyester simply does not.
Our silk collection spans blouses, dresses and skirts, and the wider tops and blouses edit is where most silk pieces land. If you are pairing silk with knitwear for autumn, our knitwear collection is the natural companion. We have also written about cashmere, mohair and wool, which applies much the same thinking to a different protein fibre, and about building one evening outfit that works all season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put silk in the washing machine?
Some silk survives a cold delicates cycle in a mesh bag, but hand washing is far safer and takes ten minutes. The risks in a machine are agitation, spin creasing and heat. Never tumble dry silk under any circumstances.
Why does my silk blouse have water marks?
Silk is highly absorbent, and when a droplet dries it leaves a ring where the fibres have shifted. The fix is to wet the whole panel evenly and dry it flat, rather than trying to spot-treat the mark.
Is silk warm enough for autumn in Ireland?
On its own, no — but as a layer it is excellent. Silk holds a pocket of warm air against the skin while still breathing, so a silk top under a cardigan or coat is warmer than the same weight of cotton and far less bulky than an extra knit.
How do I stop silk clinging?
Static is the usual culprit, and it worsens in dry indoor heat. A vinegar rinse when washing, a silk-friendly anti-static spray, or simply choosing a higher momme weight or a georgette rather than a charmeuse will all help. Clinging is often a sign the silk is too light for the garment.
Silk is one of those fabrics that has to be handled to be understood — the difference between 8mm and 16mm is obvious in the hand and invisible in a photograph. Come and see us at 2-3 Church Lane in Galway, or browse the silk edit online with free shipping across Ireland.
