The Standard
What makes silk worth it
Silk is sold with adjectives. It is bought, well, on four things you can actually check: the fibre, the weight, the weave and the finishing. Here is what each one means, and what it does to a garment you will own for years.
The fibre
We work in mulberry silk — the fibre from silkworms fed solely on mulberry leaves. The controlled diet produces a long, uniform filament, which is what makes mulberry silk smoother and stronger than wild varieties, and why it takes dye so evenly. Length matters more than it sounds: short, irregular fibres are what pill, catch and dull.
The weight
Silk weight is measured in momme. A higher number is a denser cloth — more opaque, heavier in the hand, slower to show wear. Around 19 is the everyday weight of fine silk garments; past 22 a piece starts to feel substantial; 30 is closer to upholstery than to something you sleep in.
Our pieces run from 19 to 22 momme, chosen per garment. Read from 27 pieces in the current collection — the weight is stated on every product page.
One caution, because the number is easy to weaponise: momme alone does not prove quality. It describes density, nothing else. Fibre, weave, dyeing and finishing decide whether a piece is good.
The weave
Silk is a fibre; satin is a weave. The confusion is not accidental — a great deal of “satin” sleepwear is woven polyester, which looks similar in a photograph and behaves nothing like silk against skin. It does not breathe, it holds heat, and it builds static. Silk satin is silk fibre in a satin weave: the shine and the substance in the same cloth.
The finishing
Where a piece is judged, in the end. Seams that are enclosed rather than overlocked, hems that lie flat, edges that do not fray at the first wash. It is the least photogenic part of a garment and the part you notice for years — which is exactly why it is the first thing cut when a price has to come down.
The care
Silk is a protein fibre, so it is undone by heat, bleach and direct sun rather than by wearing it. Cool hand washing and shade drying are most of the job. Most silk that “wore out” was laundered to death.
Questions we are asked
- What is momme?
- Momme (mm) is the traditional measure of silk weight — the weight in pounds of a 45-inch by 100-yard piece. A higher momme means a denser fabric: more opaque, more substantial in the hand, and slower to show wear. It is the single most useful number on a silk label, because unlike "luxury" or "premium" it can be checked.
- Is a higher momme always better?
- No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling one number. Weight decides drape and durability, but fibre quality, weave, dyeing and finishing decide how a piece actually looks and lasts. A heavy silk finished badly will disappoint next to a lighter one made well. Momme is necessary information, not sufficient.
- What is mulberry silk?
- Silk from Bombyx mori silkworms fed solely on mulberry leaves. The controlled diet produces a uniform, unusually long fibre, which is why mulberry silk is smoother and stronger than wild varieties, and why it takes colour so evenly.
- How is silk different from satin?
- Silk is a fibre. Satin is a weave. Much of what is sold as "satin" is woven polyester, which looks similar under shop lights and behaves nothing like silk against skin — it does not breathe, it holds heat, and it builds static. Silk satin is silk fibre in a satin weave: the shine and the substance together.
- How long should a silk piece last?
- Years, with cool hand washing and shade drying. Silk is a protein fibre, so what shortens its life is heat, bleach and direct sun rather than ordinary wear. Most silk that "wore out" was laundered to death.
SILKILINEN is an Irish-founded brand. Every piece is designed in Donegal and shipped worldwide, and the fibre, weight and care are stated on each product page so you can check them rather than take our word for it.
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