Precious silk has been the incarnation of luxury in fashion for more than 4,000 years. Its soft, flowing texture gently caresses the skin like a breath of wind. Stylish and elegant silk underlines the personality. It’s not just about the look. The fine fabric has wearing comforts that are unmatched by any other material. Silk is a pure natural product, feather-light, temperaturebalancing, moisture-regulating and compared to linen or cotton crease-resistant. It makes blouses, dresses and evening attire precious, sensual and romantic.
The precious treasure of ancient China
Silk is a pure natural fiber of animal origin. It is extracted from the cocoons of the silkworm moth. Only the fibers of the mulberry silkworm moth are good enough to produce silk. The name says it already, the moths subsist on the leaves of the mulberry tree. Wild silk is provided by the fibers of the oak silk and Tussah spinners. The centers of production of the high-quality silk yarn are China, India and Japan. A Chinese legend tells that already in the second century Emperor Fu Xi had silk fabrics made from the cocoons of the silkworm moths. Soon the delicate fabric which cools when warm but warms your body in the cold was used for the costly garments of emperors and kings. Today silk proves its unique qualities in haute couture as well as in stylish everyday fashion.
Silk and silk are not the same
Did you know that there are at least ten different types of natural silk? Each of them has its own character and special qualities. These are their main variants:
- Silk satin is the best known type of silk. It is wonderfully soft, strong, particularly luxurious and can be draped elaborately. The special satin weave makes a very dense fabric with a smooth structure. Silk satin is shiny on the front, the back has a matte finish.
- Silk jersey is a thin, soft fabric that is characterized by impressive flexibility and stretchability. The fabric is strong, shiny, absorbent and guarantees pure luxury.
- Habotai silk is thin, light and very smooth. The translation of the Japanese term Habotai is ‘tender as a feather’.
- Crepe de Chine silk has a particularly fine surface texture and noble shine.
- Silk chiffon is translucent and the lightest type of silk. Characteristics are its delicate stretch structure and crepe look.
- Crepe Georgette silk is semi-transparent and super light.
- Jacquard silk is patterned by its special weave and heavier than silk jersey; ideal for dyeing.
- Bourette silk stands out thanks to its nub structure. It is visually similar to cotton but feels enchantingly delicate.
- Dupion silk is woven from two different colored silk threads. It is more irregular and coarser than satin silk.
- Wild silk has a soft shine with wonderful light reflections. It’s a bit heavier than other types of silk.
For which style type is silk the right one?
The answer to this question is not only the personal taste, but also your very special style type:
Are you an elegant, sensual or romantic personality or does your style even borrows the themes of tango, dandy, frangipani or yoga? With pleasure I help you to answer this question with a professional style consultation at Me!
Don’t be afraid to discover with me whether the woven luxury is the right fabric for your personal style and contact me via phone or email.