Silk Information for Dyeing and Printing

Information on Silk Fabrics – Types, Terms, Weaves,

Fabric Terms

There are many types of silks. Listed below are a few of the more popular ones found in the US. To assess a silk one needs to consider three factors. They are: Silk Type, Silk Weight, and Silk Weave. Silks of the same type might have different characteristics because of different weights or weaves.

Silk Fabric	Description	Weight
Broadcloth, Habotai	same as China Silk except heavier; wrinkles less; good for shirts	medium (10 mm) up
Chiffon	a soft plain wave fabric made with twisted yarns	Sheer – Light to Medium
China Silk, Fuji Silk	Spun Silk, best for lining and crafts; inexpensive, often called washable silk, wrinkles	8 mm up (light)
Crepe de Chine	Popular for clothing; lustrous fabric; superior drape; made from twisted yarns	14 mm popular but inferior; 16 mm is good blouse weight, heavier available
Organza	plain weave; sheer silk made of tightly twisted, fine yarns; use for interfacing, veils, under gowns	Crisp, Sheer
Charmeuse	crepe backed satin; rich luster; drapes beautifully	medium; 16 or higher
Pongee	a variation of tussah; slight rib and texture; inexpensive	light weight; traditional summer fabric
Brocade	Jacquard design often with metallic thread, usually contains some rayon; good for jackets	heavy
Taffeta	hand woven is best; crisp fabric that rustles	medium to heavy weight
Shantung	slubbed silk, duppioni yarns	many weights from light to suit
Velvet	pile fabric often containing some rayon; gorgeous drape	medium to heavy
Peu de Soie	skin of silk; satiny face	heavy
Damask	jacquard woven silk of elaborate patterns	light to medium
Noil (raw silk)	spun silk with nubby texture; appearance of soft cotton or wool; easy care, wrinkle resistant; travel well	medium to heavy
Tussah (wild silk)	wild silk, generally from India, loosely woven	heavy, nice for suiting
Washable Silk	see: China Silk, Fuji Silk above

Silks are woven fabrics. Fabric weave helps determine such characteristics as strength and durability of the fabric as well as beauty. Since silk is so strong naturally, less durable weaves may be used to achieve a particular look not capable in other fabrics.

Weave	Explanation	Comment
Herringbone	most durable; diagonal rib switch back and forth creating rows of parallel lines which slope in opposite directions	often seen in noil silk suiting
Twill	a dense fabric (double thread) with appearance of fine diagonal lines; very strong and soil resistant	an expensive weave
Rib	variation of plain weave in which the yarns in one direction are heavier than the other creating a rib effect	a strong fabric weave
Plain	yarns runs alternately over and under one another; most common weave	appearance is changed by looseness of weave
Dobby	made with a special loom that creates small, geometric figures	usually expensive fabric
Jacquard	intricate weaving creating complex designs in the fabric	popular
Satin	uses floating yarns to create the luster of a pearl; imitations and copies: shine; beautiful!.	can snag easily
Leno	open weave using twisted fibers	weak weave

Term	Definition
momme	silk weight; a silk of 6 momme (mm) is very light; a silk of 22 mm is very heavy (suit weight);
sericin	the gum that protects the fiber in its natural state
Spun Silk	short silk threads that are spun together to form a longer filament; a lower quality silk often seen in the so called “washable silk” class
Raw Silk	refers to spun silk that has been brushed to give a cotton effect; popular; easy care; inexpensive
Dupionni	other related terms: dupion, douppioni, shantung; fabric containing slubs, uneven; forms when two silk worms make their cocoons at the same time thus joining together.
Washable Silk	This is a term of recent creation. It normally refers to a light weight silk such as “China Silk” (see above) and is not considered suitable for outer garments. It lacks the qualities of a long filament silk. However, it is popular for artist who hand paint scarfs and clothing. (Note: most silks are generally considered washable.