Silk

Silk is both durable and practical as well as a fine, luxury fabric used for high fashion. It is extremely warm and a great insulator, as well as being light in the summer heat. Except for extremely hot days, silk fabrics are comfortable and maintain a neat and attractive appearance. Silk can absorb perspiration and oil from the skin, and yet shed dirt easily.

That’s why we chose silk, and followed the Silk Road to China, to find the best silk in the world for you.

And because we wanted to offer comfort as well as style, for women of many ages, we offer flattering designs for many shapes and sizes that we are. That’s why we sell our styles in separates, because we aren’t always the same size from top to bottom!

A historical beginning

Silk, the “queen of fibers” is one of the most beautiful fibers in the world. Its history combines fact and legend, and although it is difficult to separate the two, the history is interesting and even romantic. Silk originated in China sometime between 2700 and 2600 B.C., when it was discovered by the Empress, Hsi-Ling-Shi. According to legend, Emperor Huang-Ti assigned his wife to study a blight that was damaging the Imperial mulberry grove. Tiny white worms were devouring the leaves, and spinning cocoons. As she gathered some cocoons to carry to her apartment, she dropped one into a basin of hot water....perhaps her tea? She noticed the cocoon separated into a delicate tangle, that could be separated into a slender, continuous filament. The more she unwound, the smaller the cocoon became. And that’s how legend describes the birth of silk.

The Silk Road was the actual route that the exquisite Han Dynasty textile traveled from China into the west and the Roman Empire. Famous travelers like Marco Polo and Kublai Khan have brought mystery and further tales of intrigue to the history of silk and its spread around the globe. As the industry has grown, silk has maintained a position of prestige and luxury. Together with its ‘royal’ beginnings, the care in the production process and the luxurious properties of silk, it’s little wonder that its’ reputation as the “queen of fibers” has lasted for centuries.

Sericulture and processing of the natural fiber, Silk

Several types of moths, either wild or cultivated, produce silk. Using the most controlled conditions, cultivated silk comes from the type of moth called Bombyx mori, which live only on mulberry leaves. In their short life of only a few days, the moth lays as many as 700 eggs, which hatch into a silkworm after a few days. After they feast on the mulberry leaves for about a month, the caterpillar is ready to spin its cocoon. Raising these insects require much time and a carefully controlled environment. The modern silk factories are often very clean and quiet, to prevent disease, and the handlers of the cocoons are extremely conscientious to maintain a high quality fiber. One manufacturer estimates that is takes up to 3,000 cocoons to make a single yard of silk fabric.

The processing goes through several stages beginning with reeling, to soften the gum that holds the filaments together. Each filament can be up to 2-3,000 yards long, and four or more are reeled together to form a single thread, with a natural luster. The more filaments there are in a yarn, the stronger, more pliable and supple the yarn. As the smooth fibers are combined, they are twisted or thrown into yarn, to increase fiber strength. Short ends of the fibers are then spun into yarns, and the final process is degumming, to remove the sericin, which is the natural gum that is formed in the cocooning process. Reeled silk is lustrous and long fibered, and usually has less twist than spun silk. The fibers will fan out or shred apart when the yarn is untwisted.

Silk, which is not de-gummed, is called raw silk, and is neither soft nor lustrous. Tussah silk is made from larvae that grow in the wild and feed on oak leaves. After de-gumming, dying or any finishes are applied to the fabric, including printing of a pattern.

Silk Fabric

Much of silk's ‘hand’, or the way it feels, depends on the treatment and weaving of the cloth, rather than on the qualities of the fiber itself. Silk is actually quite elastic naturally, and keeps its shape better than many other fibers. It is both durable and practical as well as a fine, luxury fabric used for high fashion. If properly cared for, silk fabric can last for years.

Silk has a higher average for absorption than cotton, linen, or rayon, and still feels rather dry. From parachutes to long underwear to the finest gowns on the designer runways, silk spans the distance.

Silk weaves:

• DAMASK the shiny (satin) side and dull side is reversed in weaving to form a design, usually with a single color of thread.
• BROCADE is similar to damask except without a satin ground, where patterns or designs are made with colored threads.
• CREPE is a dimensional and less lustrous type of silk, often a heavier weight than the flat weaves.
• CHIFFON is a type of creped silk that is sheer, soft and lightweight.
• GEORGETTE is a soft, sheer silk with a crepe like surface.
• SATIN is smooth and shiny on one side and has a duller finish on the other side.
• WOVEN PILE includes silk velvet and brocaded velvet and shouldn’t be ironed or flattened.

Care of Silk

A good silk garment, properly cared for, can last many years. Dry cleaning is the preferred method of care for silk. However, if handled carefully, some silk products can be hand laundered with a mild soap in cool water with minimal handling. Due to the stretching much silk encounters in factory production, it may shrink when it becomes wet, however.

Although it is stronger than steel, ounce for ounce, it shouldn't be rubbed when it is wet, as that can damage the surface fibers. Though rinsing is required, the best method of removing excess water is to roll the garment in a towel rather than twisting or squeezing it.

It should be dried out of the sun, and only ironed or pressed with medium or low ironing temperatures. If silk requires bleaching, hydrogen peroxide or non-chlorine type bleach may be used. Since deodorants often contain aluminum chloride, which is damaging to silk, it is advisable to wear protective dress shields, so that body odor doesn’t weaken or alter the color of the fibers.

Bibliography

Essential of Textiles, Marjory L. Joseph, pages 79-84; Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York 1976.

Textile Fabrics and their Selection, Isabel B. Wingate and June F. Mohler, pages 28, 34,52-56, 83, 88-93, 107, 112, 153-162; Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood