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The value of silk
is determined by several considerations . . .
1. Type of
silk ---
Generally silk is divided into two categories of
silk -- cultivated and wild.
a. CULTIVATED SILK is a smooth,
continuous filament of silk and appears almost glassy and
translucent. It also shows a prismatic, rainbow effect. This silk is
a reeled/thrown silk and is done by hand. The silkworms are fed
mulberry leaves and the silk filaments are anywhere from 500 to 1000
meters long in one cocoon. Several of these are grouped together in
the unraveling of the cocoons to make 1 silk yarn.
b. WILD SILK
is difficult to reel and after being processed is worked up as spun
silk. The diet of these worms can be oak, plum and a couple of other
kinds of plants. The silk's colors have a wide range from light
beige to a deep tan due to the tannin in the leaves. It is also
known as tussah silk. It comes from predominantly China and India
(India has the most lustrous tussah) but the quality covers a broad
range. It is a very inexpensive silk and for the most part, does not
wear well over time. Doupponi immediately comes to mind --
hand-woven because of the slubbing effect and therefore ravels very
easily. Makes beautiful drapery and dresses that are only going to
be worn once. Wild silk filaments are resistant to acids and
bleaches which makes dyeing the filaments difficult. Generally most
tussahs available are in their natural colors such as in shantungs
and pongees. Wild silk is a spun/cut silk; this is silk that
essentially is woven with broken or short threads. This silk is
found in the inside of the cocoon and wears very quickly. This silk
is for the most part, rough to the touch, flatter and less elastic
with a low luster.
2. Weight of silk --
Silk is
measured by weight either by grams or by momme (mm). 28 grams = 1
ounce. 8 momme = 1 oz. In determining the right silk for your
purposes, silk under 20 momme is considered lightweight, 20 to 28 is
considered mediumweight and anything above that is considered
heavyweight. You can calculate that if a 20mm silk charmeuse sells
for $18.00 it would stand to reason that a 30mm would be more
expensive and so on. The more body (weight) that a silk has, implies
a longer shelf-life for it. Generally, all silks can be washed
(except for maybe bridal silk satins) and the heavier ones can be
washed repeatedly and still maintain their hand and original beauty.
Silk is inherently a drapey, supple fabric. When you see stiff silks
it is because a finish has been applied to give it an artificial
hand. When you wash that silk, it will lose the finish/crispness
that has been added to the silk. There are other considerations as
well in making a decision as to which silk you should purchase. 4
ply silk crepe as an example, has a lot of stretch to it. The 4 ply
crepe that is finished in China is not as fine a quality as the one
that comes out of Korea. The fabric itself is made in China but it
is finished in Korea and has a better hand and a lot less stretch.
It is also more expensive because of the necessary additional work
done to it.
3. Origin of silk --
The origin of silk
plays a part in the value of the silk. The largest supplier of silk
yarn is of course, China. India comes in second and Japan in third.
There are a few other sources but negligible in what they supply to
the world market . . . but the FINEST SILK FABRIC comes from Italy
and France. China has come a long way from its earlier silk fabric
manufacturing to become today a supplier of quality silk fabric for
the most part. But not every supplier out of China produces silk of
equal value in beauty and durability. As the weight of the silk goes
up, so does the price and the durability. A duchesse silk satin from
China does not have the same value/beauty as a duchesse silk satin
from Italy for instance. Although it is a nice silk, it is not
comparable to the silk fabric of Italy and France. But of course, it
is less expensive.
4. Cost of silk --
Almost
everyone that sells silk, carries the lightweight selections -- they
are fairly inexpensive to produce and have a wide range of uses such
as painting, linings, lingerie etc. These silks though, over time,
will become limp and unattractive. If you really want to have a
garment that will last, a heavier momme weight is a better choice
whenever possible. The cost will be higher but you will get better
value for your money. Price is not always a good indication of a
poor purchase or a better purchase but couple the cost with a higher
weight and you will have a better chance of being able to still wear
the garment years down the line.
5. Maintenance of
silk --
I can't stress enough the value of being able to wash
your silk whenever possible. Obviously, if you have a heavily
constructed garment such as a dress suit, you won't be able to do
that but when the underconstruction is simple, it is always a wise
idea to wash your silk prior to making your garment. Keeping in mind
the above information on finishes, it will be easier to take out
stains prior to using a drycleaner, you will not have any shrinkage
once you have prewashed and you may opt to eliminate the drycleaner
completely which would help you to amortize the cost of the silk as
well.
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