How to recognize silk qualities

Today, silk is still an extraordinary material. You do not buy it every day nor every month but you prefer buying silk for specific occasions, for example for evening dresses or silk curtains etc.

And here is where 2 questions arise:

How do I recognize good silk qualities and how important is a good silk quality?

Lets start with the second question: how important is a good silk quality?

In case you like to buy for example nice dupioni silk for an evening dress, you might like to choose 6 yards of silk material with 54 inch width. The following dangers:

• The colour is not regular, often only to be recognized when comparing the beginning of a roll with a part that comes 5-6 yards later
• The colour might contain toxic components
• The colour bleeds or looses strength, e.g. when in touch with skin, humidity or when being dry washed.
• The colour is quickly loosing strength through sun exposure
• The silk material was woven on an old machine which causes many defects
• The weft is loose, you can see through some material or your can stretch the wholes.
• The silk is no real silk but a mixture.

The Silk House recommends to watch the following points:
 

• Buy branded silk qualities (e.g. from www.theSilkHouse.eu) in case the qualities are important to you. Generally, branded companies have a high interest in best silk qualities.
• Wrinkle up about 30 inches of silk on a length of 30 inches, hold it upright and observe if the silk is „standing up“. If it is, the yarn is well weaved.
• Check the weight per meter. The Silk House recommends to have 110gr per meter or more at a width of 54 inches.
• Roll out the silk material 5-6 yards in front of you and pay attention to any colour differences. Specifically for large areas (e.g. silk curtains), colour variances should be avoided.

The Silk House wishes you joy with best silk qualities.

The Silk House
Dantestrasse 53
D-69115 Heidelberg

Germany (worldwide delivery)

T.: (06221) 6504849
F.: (0721) 151-520004

www.silkhouse-online.de