Silk fiber and fabrics

Silk is a natural fiber obtained mainly from the cocoon of the Mulberry silkworm. It is a filament fiber, which means that it is a very long fiber - from 500 to 1500 m. 10-13 microns in diameter. It is one of the oldest known and widely used fibers. Silk can be used in weaving such fabrics as chiffon, organza, mikado, taffeta, satin, velvet, charmeuse, etc.

Silk fabrics can be used to produce a wide variety of products, such as blouses, dresses, scarves and bed linen. The silk pulp obtained from the protein in the silk fiber is used in cosmetics - shampoos, conditioners and creams.

Properties of silk

Natural fibers will always be "friendly" with the skin and body. The properties of natural fibers will ensure comfort - good moisture absorption (i.e. also sweat) and will be breathable (you will not have to sweat more).

Silk fiber is shiny, pleasant to the touch, soft and at the same time one of the most durable natural fibers. It has high elasticity, so it has good draping properties and does not wrinkle. The strength of silk fiber will decrease under the influence of body sweat and prolonged exposure to sunlight. Wet silk is also less durable, so it is recommended to wash silk fabric products and clothes by hand, in a dry cleaner or in a particularly gentle washing mode, using detergents intended for silk and delicate linen.

Briefly about the properties of silk:

• One of the most durable natural fibers;
• absorbs moisture well;
• good color receptivity, as a result of which clear and beautiful colors can be obtained;
• fades and remains unstable under the influence of prolonged sun and sweat;
• when burned, burns slowly and smells like burning feathers and hair.
• has a tendency to shrink
• easily accumulates static electricity
• little wrinkles

Care of silk products and clothing

Sometimes we don't want to pay much attention to the care of clothes, but proper care of each piece of clothing will ensure its long service life. The longer a particular piece of clothing lasts, the less often you need to buy a new one. Thus, both money is saved and existing resources are used to the maximum and new ones are not consumed.

Silk fabric products, nightwear and accessories are recommended to be washed by hand, in a dry cleaner or in a particularly gentle washing mode, using detergents intended for silk and delicate clothes. When washing in a washing machine, you should use a laundry bag, which can be purchased at a household goods store or made at home.

Air that is too dry will cause electrification of silk clothing. To reduce the electrification of silk clothing, it is recommended to humidify the air; hang silk clothes to dry separately from other clothes and avoid contact with wool products. Iron the clothes at a low temperature without using steam (steam/moisture and high temperature reduce the strength of silk fiber).

Currently, silk sleepwear and other silk products are becoming more and more popular. Silk scrunchies and bedding are in particular demand, not only for fashion and the ultra-soft feel of silk, but also for skin and hair care properties. Using hair scrunchies and silk pillowcases on a daily basis improves the condition of the skin and hair - they are  moisturized, remaining soft and protects the hair from breaking and splitting. In online shop you will find silk nightwear for women, silk pillowcases and silk hair scrunchies.

• Textilepedia no Fashionary. https://fashionary.org/ 

This is my most opened book :) It's short and focused on the essentials - fibers, sourcing, processing, recycling and fabrics. Fashionary also offers many other fashion-related books and figure illustrations for sketching.