5 Questions About Silk and What Does Momme (mm) Mean?
Silk has been considered one of the most refined and luxurious natural materials for centuries. It is soft, breathable and naturally hypoallergenic, which is why silk products are often chosen for both comfort and beauty. However, when purchasing silk pillowcases, bedding or clothing, it is important to understand what determines the quality of the fabric. One of the most important indicators is momme – a unit of measurement for the thickness and weight of silk.
What is momme?
Momme (abbreviated as mm) is a traditional Japanese unit of measurement used to determine the weight and thickness of silk fabric.
• 1 momme ≈ 4.34 grams per square meter.
• The higher the momme number, the denser, thicker and more durable the silk.
This indicator helps determine how the fabric will drape, feel on the skin and last.
This is especially important when choosing fabric for your sewing projects. First of all, whether the fabric is needed for clothing, accessories, bedding or home textiles and furniture.
For clothing, we definitely want it to be as soft as possible, durable during wear and at the same time flexible enough (falling, with a good fall) to be comfortable to wear and use.
What is the difference between different momme levels?
The number indicates the thickness of the silk fabric, where 16 = thin, 30 = very thick. Numbering – 16, 19, 22, 25, 30.
- 16–19 mm – light silk, suitable for clothing, scarves and summer bedding.
- 19–22 mm – the most popular thickness for pillowcases and bedding. Airy fabric, good drape and air permeability properties. A balance between luxury and practicality.
- 22–25 mm – thicker and more durable silk that retains its shape and lasts longer. Ideal for luxury bedding.
- 30 mm and above – very thick silk, used in special interior or design elements. Longer service life.
In our online store you can buy products from 19mm to 22mm thick. The thickness of the silk used is indicated for each product, but is not indicated on product labels. This information is mostly required when purchasing fabric from a manufacturer or retail store, but may not be indicated on the finished product. Fabric manufacturers indicate the fiber composition, class, and thickness of the fabric in fabric catalogs, from which the customer can choose what they need. Similarly, information about the fiber composition may also be indicated (printed) on the edge of the fabric hem.
Don’t be afraid of silk fabric that is 19 mm thick, it is not as fragile as it might seem. This is a very good thickness for a comfortable pillowcase and provides exactly the same softness and excellent thermoregulation properties as 25 mm thick silk fabric, but is more wallet-friendly than 25 mm.
From experience, I can say that silk fabrics can differ for each manufacturer by touch. Of course, only a specialist who has worked with silk fabric for a long time will notice this. Also, you may not notice the difference in thickness between 19 and 22 mm fabrics, unless you are experienced in the field of fabrics. The difference can best be felt, for example, between 16 mm and 30 mm, when both fabrics are placed side by side and the drape is checked. Then you can see that 30 mm will be heavier, will hold its shape longer, and will be less flexible.
How to choose the right thickness?
• For everyday pillowcases – 19–22 mm.
• For luxury bedding and long-term use – 22–25 mm.
• For clothing and accessories – 16–19 mm, depending on the desired effect.
It should be noted that this number is only a unit of measurement of the thickness of the fabric and is in not related to the percentage of silk in the fabric. This number is not indicated for products sold in fabric stores and clothing stores, where there are two or more different fibers (one of which is silk fiber). This number is indicated only for 100% silk fabrics, in order to accurately determine the thickness of the silk. Therefore, you can be absolutely sure that 100% silk fabric with a thickness of 19 mommes is made only from silk fiber. It does not contain any other fibers.
It is also important to remember that for silk products, the thickness of the fabric may not be indicated on the product label. However, now that the consumer has become increasingly aware in the world of fabrics, he wants to be sure about the quality of silk fabric, its thickness, type of fabric and more and more often requests additional information from the manufacturer including fabric thickness.
Differences in fabric types
* Habotai silk: light and airy 12–16 mm.
* Chiffon: very thin, transparent 6–8 mm.
* Charmeuse or mulberry satin: 19–25 mm, with a shine and luxury.
Customers Q&A
It is written 100% silk, 19 mm. What does this mean? I want the product to be 100% silk.
This means that the product is made from natural silk fiber, 19 mommes thick. “mm” is an abbreviation for “momme”. Compareing one product, where 19mm is indicated and another, where 30mm is indicated, you can understand that the fabric of the second product will be thicker than the fabric of the first product.
It is written 100% silk, but is it Mulberry silk? I am not sure that I will get a quality product if it is not stated “100% Mulberry silk”.
The standard on clothing labels indicates the main fibers, for example 100% cotton, 100% linen, 100% polyester, etc. Following the same principle, 100% silk is also indicated. “Regulation (EU) No. 1007/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2011 on textile fibre names and related textile products and on the determination of the fibre composition” requires the indication of the percentage of fibre and the name of the fibre. It is not required to indicate the word “Mulberry” on the clothing label, as it is a type of silk.
From my experience working in this profession, I understand that consumers are more aware of various terms and currently the word Mulberry silk is very often heard, and it seems that this is the correct and only designation for silk, but it is not at all the case. There are many different types of silk, but their essence and properties do not change. Their difference can be in the length and thickness of the fibers, as well as in further use. The word Mulberry is used more for marketing purposes with the to create the impression of a high-quality Premium-level product. Of course, Mulberry silk is high-quality silk and is currently a very recognizable name, especially when talking about silk pillowcases, but the word “silk” without the word “Mulberry” does not change the essence in itself – a fine, long, soft fiber with excellent thermoregulation capabilities, hypoallergenic.
Interesting facts about the thickness and history of silk
Historical “weighting”
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, metal salts were often added to silk to make the fabric heavier. This created the illusion of a “more valuable” material, but at the same time accelerated the deterioration of the fiber. That is why today many historical silk fabrics have been preserved worse than pure, raw silk.
Silk strength
Silk fiber is surprisingly durable – its tensile strength, considering its weight, is comparable to steel. At the same time, it is light, breathable and can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture.
Thickness and comfort
While higher momme is often associated with luxury, very thick silk can be less breathable and less comfortable in hot weather. Therefore, the “best thickness” depends on the specific application.
ORIGIN AND HISTORY OBOUT MOMME
Archaeological finds show that the Chinese were the first to produce silk as early as 2700 BC. Sericulture (the breeding of silkworms) developed in ancient China, and China held a monopoly on the production and export of silk for more than 2000 years. The Chinese traditionally measured the quality and price of silk by the length of the fibers, the luster, and the thickness of the fabric by touch, but also by a weight system that used liang and jin . For example, 1 liang ≈ 37 grams. However, these units of measurement were not specialized for silk - they were universal units of measurement for all goods.
In Japan, starting from the Edo period (1603–1868), the silk trade was a very important part of the economy. There, the momme (匁, monme) became a specific unit of measurement, practically intended specifically for silk fabric, to accurately indicate its weight and thickness. This was convenient for both manufacturers and traders. Instead of judging only the “thickness by eye”, it was determined how much the fabric weighed in a given width. One momme was historically about 3.75 grams.
Transition to international use
19th century In the late 1800s, when Japan became one of the world's largest silk exporters, this unit entered the international market. In Europe and the United States, with the import of Japanese and Chinese silk, momme became a common unit of measurement for indicating the thickness and quality of fabric.
Today, momme is used almost exclusively in the context of silk fabric. Technically, 1 momme ≈ 4.34 g/m² of fabric, but in practice it became a convenient “language” for traders and customers to understand how heavy, thick and durable a particular silk product would be.
The Chinese were the first to obtain silk, but the standardized counting in mommes was introduced by the Japanese, and it was precisely because of Japan's role in silk exports that this unit of measurement became international in the late 19th century.
