Silk

Overview

Silk is a protein based fibre and the only naturally occurring filament fibre currently used at scale in textiles. Silk comes from the cocoon of the silk moth, Bombyx mori, the larvae of the Bombyx mori are colloquially referred to as silkworms.

Silk is a luxury textile and is prized for it's smooth appearance and natural sheen.

Silk is sometimes defined by the way it was produced and may be referred to as silk, traditional silk, tussah silk, ahimsa silk or dupioni silk. Read more below.

Common Fabrics

Chiffon
Silk noil
Duopioni
Surah
Georgette
Crepe de Chine
Organza

Context of Use

silk lace wedding dress hanging from a wall lamp

Silk is a lightweight, luxury textile and is often used to produce apparel such as blouses, shirts and dresses or accessories such as scarves or pocket squares.

Silk is a popular choice in the bridal industry and for special occasion wear, used for wedding dresses and lace.

Silk may be used in homewares such as sheets, cushion covers and lampshade covers. It is often used for pillowcases as it is believed to be gentle on skin and hair.

Being a natural fibre, silk is very breathable and comfortable to wear in warmer climates.

Care Guide

The following is a general guide to caring for this textile, however you should always refer to and follow the instructions on the care label of each garment.

How to Wash

Silk is a delicate fabric and should be hand washed or dry cleaned. If dry cleaning consider using an environmentally friendly dry cleaner.

Washing Temperature

Wash silk in cool or cold water

Detergents, Bleach and Removing Stains

Silk is a protein based fibre and traditional clothes washing detergents can be too harsh. Consider using a very mild shampoo like a baby shampoo or a detergent that has been formulated specifically for silk or wool.

Do not bleach silk. Bleaching silk damages and yellows the fibres.

Drying

Silk should be dried gently by pressing (with your hands) between cotton towels then hung on a clothes hanger or flat to dry. Avoid wringing the garment as this ca damage the fibres and cause wrinkling.

Ironing

Wrinkles are best removed by steaming, however if you must iron, use the lowest heat setting, iron the garment inside out and consider using a pressing cloth, such as a piece of white cotton, on top. A clean cotton pillowcase or tea towel can be used if you don't own a pressing cloth.

Storing

Being a protein based fibre silk is susceptible to sun damage and moth damage. Ideally, store silk clothes and accessories in a cotton garment bag away from direct sunlight or loosely wrapped in uncoloured, acid free, tissue paper.

Recycle

Silk is a natural fibre and so is easily biodegradable.

At the end of it's life silk can be composted or added to worm farms.

Technology is emerging to chemically recycle silk, breaking it down into it's original form of sericin (the filament emitted by the silkworm to form its cocoon.), however this isn't yet available at scale to the public.

Types of Silk

Sericulture

Silk is most commonly obtained from farmed silkworms, a process called sericulture. The larvae are strictly fed mulberry leaves which results in them producing a white fibre. When the silkworms are ready to become moths they extrude two streams of filament, wrapping them around themselves to for a cocoon. By boiling the silkworms in their cocoons, which loosens the chemicals produced by the worm that holds the silk fibres together, the filament can be extracted in long lengths.

Tussah Silk

Tussah silk is wild grown silk with the larvae having a more varied diet of leaves. This results in fibres that are often golden or brown in colour and less uniform in fibre shape, meaning it's often less shiny than sericulture silk. It produces a more textured textile, often with slubs (thicker, lumpy parts of the fibre) throughout.

Ahimsa Silk

Ahimsa silk is sometimes referred to as cruelty free silk as the larvae are allowed to fully develop into moths and emerge from their cocoons. Because they break free from the cocoons the fibre is no longer a single filament, instead becoming a staple fibre, which is then spun to make textiles.

Duopioni Silk

When two silk worms form a cocoon together the resulting fibre is made of four filaments instead of two, resulting in a thicker fibre. This is known as duopioni silk.