Types of Silk fabrics to make your clothes

Do you know that it is difficult for even the experts to identify the quality and type of silk? – they need a magnifying glass to inspect the quality of their silk. So you are excused for being confused by all the silk available, as I surely am. When buying fabric to make clothes, I am overwhelmed by all the different types of silk fabrics.

Do you know that it is difficult for even the experts to identify the quality and type of silk? – they need a magnifying glass to inspect the quality of their silk. So you are excused for being confused by all the silk available, as I surely am. When buying fabric to make clothes, I am overwhelmed by all the different types of silk fabrics..

Related post: What is Silk and How is it made.

You have to take into account other silk fabrics made from Spiders and Mussles. In fact, spider silk is said to be one of the best fibers ever discovered. (Checkout this post on Newyorker which says in the future we will all wear spider silk ) Then there are the different species of silkworms other than the renowned Bombyx mori silkworm – all competing to make the best of the best fabrics. 

So now you know where the silk comes from and what it is made of, let’s go on to our business – that of making clothes with it; for that, you need silk fabric -yards and yards of beautiful silk.

But do you know that not all silk is made equal? Silk is categorized according to many factors – But I am mainly concerned about how the fabric looks and how it drapes and its suitability to make different garments/accessories.

Broadly silk from silkworms is categorized as follows :

Wild silk (Tusser/Tussore)

This is silk made from wild silkworms that live on oak leaves (oak moth) instead of mulberry leaves. This is coarser in nature and heavier.  

The alternate name for this silk is Tussah/ Tusser. There are many types of Tusser silk worms – Indian tusser silkworm Antheraea mylitte Dury, Chinese Tusser silkworm Antherae pernyi Guerin, Japanese tasar silkworm Antheraea yamamai Querin are the different varieties and the silk they produce also vary.

Honan silk is a Chinese vareity of Tussore silk.

Mulberry silk

This Silk is made from fibers given by the domesticated silkworms species knowns as Bombyx mori fed exclusively on Mulberry leaves. Mulberry silk is a general category rather than the name of silk and this category dominates the world silk production by about 80%.

Eri Silk

This is the silk produced from silkworm species called  Philosamia ricini, which feeds on castor oil plant leaves. The silk is a white or brick-red variety.

Muga Silk

This is a golden yellow silk produced by strong silk fibers made from the silk worm Antheraea assamensis found in Assam state in India.

Spider silk

Spider silk fibers spun by the spider are said to be as strong or even stronger than steel and very elastic. The commercial and industrial possibilities of spider silk are not yet fully explored. 

Sea silk

Sea silk is a silk fabric made from long silky filaments secreted by mussels. This silk fabric is said to be even finer than all other silks and keeps you warm.

Pure silk

Pure silk fabric is made with silk fibers that have been cleaned off the gum but no additives are added to compensate for the weight loss in boiling and cleaning the fibers. It is the purest and finest silk.

Raw Silk

Silk fiber, as it comes from the cocoon, is coated with a protective layer called silk gum, or sericin which is very stiff.  Raw silk is a fabric made from this fiber without removing the gum. Read more about different types of raw silk here.

The more specific silk fabrics are as follows

Silk Charmeuse ( Silk Satin)

Silk Charmeuse is a soft, medium-weight silk fabric with a satin-ish and lustrous, glossy face and a dull back (called crepe-backed satin). This is the fabric that comes to your mind as you say silk.

I suppose this is the most preferred fabric for dressmaking because it looks wonderful, is beautifully supple, and drapes well on the figure. With this, you can make lingerie, gowns, loose blouses, scarves, etc.
This fabric is a favorite for making wedding clothes- it is suitably heavy sleek, satiny, and creamy.

Sewing this fabric is not without its challenges, as the fabric is quite slippery, and you have to be extra vigilant when sewing it. It is made with a satin weave, hence the shiny look. Some may not like this satiny look and hence skip this one. It is also slightly clingy. (as per the tips given in this post on dressing tips to make one look thin you had better avoid it if that is what you aim for) . One other problem is charmeuse creases easily.

But all said, silk charmeuse is silk in all its glory. So it is most preferred to make all kinds of garments.

You can also choose a Stretch Silk Charmeuse, which features 5% spandex and gives it stretchiness, sheen, softness, and suppleness. Then there is the Sand washed Charmeuse, which has a toned-down satin surface. Sueded Charmeuse has a light crepe texture.

When sewing and washing take extra care as it snags and puckering of thread is a common problem on the face of the fabric. If  you have a silk charmeuse gown which is very much cherished, I would carefully handwash it or dry clean it to be safe.

Chiffon Silk (Crepe chiffon)

Chiffon silk is a soft, sheer fabric with a slightly rough feel (matt, crepe-like feel) because of the use of twisted yarns (in a taffeta weave). Chiffon comes in all colors and prints. It is suitable for making loose flowy clothes. Light to medium-weight silk.

The slippery, flimsy and thin  feel of the fabric makes it a difficult material to sew. Checkout some of the tips on the sewing with sheer fabric for how to deal with this problem. Remember that you will need to add a lining when making clothes, unless you want the transparent effect.

Silk Dupioni ( Duppioni or Dupion)

This is a medium-weight, reversible, crisp silk fabric with a nubby texture and loose plain weave. It does not crease/ wrinkle easily and is quite strong (but not very durable).

This fabric is made by weaving two colors of yarns (said to be from two cocoons nested together- considered flawed) and hence has a dull luster and sheen when watched in light – you will find it has different shades. You may see black specs in this fabric- those are part of the fabric and removing them may weaken the fabric.

This fabric is a favorite for sewing clothes, especially as a wedding dress material; it is easier than Charmeuse or chiffon to sew with, as it is more sturdy. The lustrous vivid colors of the dupioni silk and its shimmery look make it a very attractive fabric. You can make beautiful semifitted (tailored) as well as loose-fitting clothes with this fabric.

Prewash dupioni silk before cutting and sewing. Hand wash with extra care (because sometimes the sheen and texture may be lost in washing); usually, it is recommended for dry cleaning.

You can see that most bridal gowns are made in this fabric because of its sheen and the fact that it is inexpensive. You get embossed dupioni silk and embroidered, beaded, and printed dupioni. This fabric does not fray much at the cut edges, but the loose weave may cause seams to unravel—the surface also pills easily. Also, be aware that it has no stretch.

Satin crepe

This fabric has a glossy front face, dull matt, and rough back. It has a nice drape.

Silk Gauze

Silk gauze is a sheer, thin, lightweight open-weave silk fabric with a soft feel and beautiful sheen. It is lighter than chiffon and organza.

This is most often used for sewing as facings, interfacing, or lining. This fabric is not difficult to sew with..

Fuji Silk

Fuji silk is a medium weight and inexpensive silk have a soft luster and great drape. It is used for lining.

Silk Noil

Silk Noil is a low sheen, and slightly bulky silk fabric with a nubby texture (matte surface and rough finish). It is made from the short fibers left after combing and carding, which is why it does not have the shine of other silk fabrics. It is not raw silk. 

The short fibers with several knots are used in weaving this fabric – this results in slubs on the surface of the fabric, which results in the nubby texture. They also have subtle specs on them, which are cocoon remnants.

This fabric looks like cotton but is soft like silk and has a good drape, and does not wrinkle easily. It is easy to sew and easy to care for; The cut edges fray easily; This fabric is not as durable as other silks but is in demand because of its easy-to-care nature and wrinkle resistance.

Silk noil is prone to shrinkage in the wash, so prewash. It is hand washable.

Silk Shantung 

Silk Hantung is a medium-weight to heavyweight slubbed silk with a crisp feel. Basically, Tussore silk in a taffeta weave. This wild silk is made from silkworms fed on oak tree leaves. It is a very shiny, coarse, but delicate fabric. It is lightweight and airy and does not wrinkle much.

The Indian silk shantung is called Tussah silk.

Silk Organza

Silk organza is a sheer, crisp, lightweight, strong, and durable silk fabric with a loose weave and smooth texture made of non-degummed plain woven silk. It looks like silk gauze, but silk organza is heavier and stiffer. The fine yarns make this fabric see-through. This fabric creases easily.

It is nowadays mostly used for making linings and for making veils and undergowns. You can also use this to make facings for sheer fabrics. This fabric is also the base for embellished fabrics (embroidered applique pieces, beaded fabrics, etc.).

Silk Broadcloth

Silk Broadcloth is a soft, lightweight silk fabric with a smooth surface and dull luster. Medium-weight silk.

It feels almost like cotton and is easy to sew. It is suitable to make tailored clothes and shirts with the fabric as it holds creases well and has a tight weave, but wrinkles less. It is a delight to make clothes with this fabric. 

Silk Brocade

These are silk blend fabric with Jacquard patterns woven on a heavyweight twill/satin base. This is mostly used in home furnishings, for making wedding gowns and costumes and to make jackets. You need lightweight brocade for making clothes. May have rayon fibers added.

Crepe de Chine ( pronounced Krape dee sheen)

Crepe de chine is a lustrous silk fabric (Chinese crepe) with a smooth but slightly matt surface, slippery feel, and great drape. This fabric’s sheen is subtle and heavier than silk habotai fabric.

It is a very comfortable fabric, so used a great deal for dressmaking. Crepe de chine comes in many different varieties like Moroccan crêpe and crêpe georgette.

Silk Crepe

Silk crepe is a lightweight textured silk fabric with a good sheen. Canton Crepe silk is a soft fabric with a fine crinkly surface; it is heavier than Crepe de chine. Crepon is a heavier crepe in silk.

Four-Ply Silk

This is medium to heavyweight silk fabric with a crepe finish and beautiful luster. In fact, this is a heavier version of silk crepe. The heavyweight version of 4 ply silk is the most coveted silk fabric for dress making. The fabric is called 4 ply because 4 individual yarn strands are twisted to make the single yarn of his silk.

This fabric can be hand washed but it is preferable to dry clean it to maintain the sheen and luster.

Silk/metal tissue

Silk/metal tissue is a rather stiff, crinkly and translucent and lustrous gauze made with silk and metalized threads. Very difficult to maintain as it can’t be dry cleaned nor hand washed as it shrinks very much.

Silk Gabardine

This is a dressy smooth twill weave silk fabric with a distinct diagonal line on the fabric. Faintly lustrous, it has a beautiful drape; The fabric resists wrinkles. Durable and crisp, it is most often used for making skirts, slacks, and suits.

Handwash (shrinks more than most), drip dry.

Silk Georgette

Silk georgette is a sheer and strong silk fabric with a dull creped surface and a grainy texture. (Taffeta weave) It is a durable fabric, but when sewing, you have to be very careful as it snags easily. The flowy thin nature of the fabric makes it difficult to sew with. It is also less lustrous and heavier than chiffon and is great for dressmaking.

Silk Taffeta

Taffeta is a plain weave silk fabric with a crisp (even stiff) texture. It has a fine crosswise rib pattern and is reversible. The surface is smooth and finely fluted. It can be soft or stiff according to its make and has a rustle.

Peau de Soie (Duchess Satin)

This is a medium weight smooth, and silky fabric with a satiny, lustrous finish. This fabric looks a lot like silk charmeuse, but Peau de Soie has a moderately stiff drape. This fabric is also very easy to sew with. It is a preferred fabric for making gowns ( also nicknamed bridal satin).

Dry Cleaning is preferred to keep the sheen.

Habutai Silk / Habotai Silk

Habutai is a fine, soft, lustrous, lightweight silk fabric with a great drape. It does not crease /wrinkle easily and sews easily enough. It is also known as Japanese silk because it is from Japan. It is usually used for lining garments and also to make light tops, dresses, and shirts. Very similar to China silk, both are breezy, lightweight, and inexpensive. Also called Parachute silk.

Silk Pongee

This is a silk fabric with a textured surface (raw silk) and has a sheen. This fabric has a soft drape. Pongee silk is very fine and light, even lighter than silk habutai. Usually, the names silk pongee and silk habutai are used interchangeably. It is inexpensive to buy. The fabric is available in many weights. It is a favourite fabric for silk painting.

China Silk

China silk is similar to Habutai in all aspects; other than that, china silk is smoother. It is a somewhat thin silk. You can use it as a lining for gowns rather than making gowns with it.  

Twill Silk

This is a thick silk with the diagonal twill lines. 

Silk Velvet

A wonderful piled fabric with great drape for making gowns.

Spun silk

This is a silk fabric made with very short fibers; Hence the surface is rough and feels like cotton

Silk Damask / Jaquard silk

This is silk woven with elaborate jacquard patterns. The patterns shimmer in the light when the fabric moves.

Watered silk

This is silk with a design woven into the fabric. The design looks like a watermark on the fabric.

ShotSilk

A silk fabric with an iridescent look because of the use of different colored warp and weft fibers in weaving.

Thai Silk

A tightly woven silk fabric from Thailand. It is a lot like silk shantung but much better.

Japanese Silks

Chirimen Silk

This is a crepe silk with a distinct crimped surface texture. Hitokoshi Chirimen (not as much wrinkles), Futakoshi Chirimen and Kawari Muj are different varieties of this fabric.

Tsumugi Silk

This is a silk with a rough texture like Tussah silk ; but still it is lightweight and soft.

Chichibu-meisen silk.

A double sided iridescent silk with beautiful patterns.

Kinsha silk 

A very fine crepe silk

Different types of Indian Silks

India is famous for its silk fabrics and an average Indian woman possesses many silk saris.  The following are silk fabrics made in India.

• Silk Matka

Matka is a heavyweight, tightly woven silk handwoven from very thick yarns in India. It has a homespun look. The poor quality Matka silk may have an uneven surface. The fabric, which feels like tweed, is used for making suits and jackets as it holds the shape well; sews easily.

Drycleaning preferred because of possible shrinkage in the wash.

• Tussah

Tussah (also Tussar) silk is a medium to heavyweight loosely woven silk with a rough, uneven surface with distinct crosswise ribs. It is said to be made from wild silkworms and is usually coarser than cultivated silk. Tussah silk is available only in limited colors. This fabric sews easily but may unravel at cut edges. The colors available are limited.

Tussar silk can be hand-washed, but it does shrink; drip dry.

• Surah is a soft, lightweight silk originally made in Surat. This is a very supple fabric with a dull luster.
• Garad Silk – This is a very fine silk with a red border and small paisley motifs.
• Kashemere silk – Soft silk fabric with a twill weave.
• Jamawar – Pashmina silk which contains a blend of cotton and wool. 
• Matka Silk – A rough handloom silk fabric made from the waste Mulberry Silk without removing its gum (sericin) part.
• Banarasi/Benarasi Silk –  A fine silk evolving with gold and silver brocade and zari work.
• Bangalore Silk – Very pure silk produced in the silk farms of Bangalore.
• Angora Silk–  Soft silk made from the fur of Angora rabbit
• Pochampally/Pochampalli Silk –  A special type of silk from  Pochampally, Indian.
• Mysore Silk – This is  silk fabric woven from hard spun silk yarn 
• Sournachuri Silk– This silk has gold thread woven along with the silk fibers.
• Kosa Silk- This is a type of lightweight Tussah silk fabric with a soft texture and dull-brownish look.
• Muga Silk– this is a silk made from yellow silk fibers from a special silk worm found in Assam.
• Dharamavaram Silk– This silk fabric has gold plated borders
• Narayanpet Silk – This is a silk fabric with a checked surface design with embroidery and the border or pallu have intricate ethnic designs.
• Pat/Paat Silk– This is a durable and fine silk fabric in white colour.
• Kanchipuram-Beautiful shiny silk fabric made in Kancheepuram.
• Bhagalpuri Silk
• Uppada Silk
• Khadi Silk – This is silk fabric made from handspun silk yarns . Khadi silk is usually 50% cotton and 50% silk. It has a very crisp and neat look and a soft lightweight feel.
• Kora Silk – A silk fabric made from undegummed and untwisted silk fibers. It is usually available in printed form.(Organza silk is also known as Kora silk).

Learn more about Indian silks used in Saris in this post on the different types of saris. 

Silk blends 

Cotton Silk

Cotton silk is a blend of cotton and silk; It has less sheen than silk and is very inexpensive when compared to silk. It is not slippery like silk and is heavier.

Silk Wool

Silk wool is a blend of wool and silk fibers creates a fabric with most of the fibers’ features, like warmth without the added weight, breathability, moisture absorption, drape, resistance to wrinkles, and suppleness. Silk wool is not as scratchy as pure wool. Silk cashmere, silk merino wool. 

Art silk

Art silk is artificial silk made from rayon fibers which look like silk, With the sheen of silk but with less drape and durability. This is a very inexpensive alternative to silk.

Reference :

• www.utsavpedia.com/textiles/silk/
• https://www.scribd.com
• Wikipedia  – sea silk

Related posts : A list of best shiny fabrics;  How to buy Silk fabric : the important questions to ask ; Washing and caring for silk clothes

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