Textile Glossary: Silkies

At Première Vision, the “Silkies” sector includes plain or jacquard silky fabrics made from natural, synthetic or man-made fibres, designed for fluid garments, everyday wear or exceptional pieces.

History

Originating in China over 4,500 years ago, silk cultivation gave rise to a material of unparalleled beauty and rarity. For millennia, it remained unrivaled, driving a flourishing trade that gave rise to exceptional craftsmanship, vast fortunes, epic sagas, and enduring legends.

Silk owes its prestige to its exceptional fineness, natural sheen, and the remarkable length of its filament—qualities that far exceed those of any other natural fiber. However, from the late 19th century onward, these exceptional properties were gradually eclipsed by synthetic fibers, which offered unlimited length and even greater brilliance. In terms of fineness, microfibers—developed in the 1970s—emerged as strong rivals to silk, offering an exceptionally smooth handle.

The easy-care properties of these modern fibers offered a distinct advantage over silk, which requires gentle care and is sensitive to chemicals.

Yet silk remains the gold standard of luxury fibers.

Composition

-    Silk is, naturally, the quintessential fiber used in silkies. Yet it is not always the most prevalent, as chemical fibers—being more versatile—lend themselves to a wide range of creative and unexpected applications.

-    Man-made fibers possess a natural springiness that lends fabrics a lively, fluid drape. Unlike silk, however, they lack insulating properties.

-    Synthetic fibers are highly adaptable and can take on any desired appearance. They are also the only fibers that can be made transparent and offer true shape memory, making features like permanent pleating possible. They are easy to care for: they wash at low temperatures, dry quickly, and require no ironing.

-    Silk-wool blends are soft, fluid, and delicate.

-    Silk-cotton blends (more common in home furnishings than in fashion) give body and structure to silk fabrics.

-    Silk and viscose blends are commonly used for fabrics intended for devoré treatments, which require bi-component materials.

Construction

Silk allows for exceptionally sophisticated constructions.

All basic weaves are represented, with satin holding a place of distinction for its unmatched ability to enhance silk’s natural luster.

Techniques such as jacquard, brocade, double weaves, gauzes, and piqués are frequently employed to explore the full richness and expressive potential of silk.

A List of Silky Fabrics

Taffeta

History : Derived from the Persian word täfta (meaning “woven”), taffeta became the generic name for plain-weave silks with a slightly crisp texture. During the Belle Époque, as dresses grew more form-fitting, taffeta petticoats produced a subtle rustle—enough to “stir men’s souls,” as romanticized by the songwriters of the era.

Technical Description: Plain weave, often made from weighted silk—treated with metallic salts to restore body lost during degumming. When the warp and weft are of different colors, it’s referred to as shot taffeta.

Characteristics: Lustrous, rustling fabric with a smooth surface on both sides and excellent shape memory.

Product use: Perfect for dresses, especially those with voluminous silhouettes.

Shantung

History: Named after China’s Shandong province, this fabric has humble origins and was traditionally woven using discontinuous silk fibers—such as floss, noil, or pierced cocoons.

Technical Description: Plain weave with a fine silk warp and a thick, irregular, undegummed weft.

Characteristics: Weft-wise slubs give the fabric a textured appearance. It has a distinctive and unpredictable sheen, resulting from the contrast between the lustrous warp and matte weft. Flexible along the warp, stiff along the weft.

Product use: Ideal for dresses, particularly those with full, rounded silhouettes.

Silk Twill

History: The name derives from the English word twill, now broadly used to describe twill weaves. Originally, twill—from the root twi- meaning “two” or “double”—referred specifically to a 2/2 weave. The term entered the French textile vocabulary in 1875 to designate silk fabrics made with a twill weave.

Technical Description: Silk fabric with a 2/2 twill weave (two-over, two-under).

Characteristics: A soft, fluid fabric with excellent drape, identical on both sides.

Product use: Ideal for scarves, dresses, and shirts.

Chiffon

History: The term mousseline was first recorded in 1298 by Marco Polo, referring to a silk and gold fabric originating from Mosul, Iraq.

Technical Description: Extremely fine fabric made from high-twist silk yarns woven in a plain weave with a very loose structure.

Characteristics: Identical appearance in both warp and weft directions; airy, lightweight, and transparent.

Product use: Ideal for blouses, delicate lingerie, and dresses.

Crêpe

History: Derived from the Latin crispus (curled), crêpe refers to the crinkled appearance of overtwisted yarns. This technique, believed to have originated in China, has inspired many variations. In the 19th century, crêpe became associated with mourning wear in England, in the form of fabric, ribbons, or armbands made of black, wavy silk crêpe.

Technical Description: Fabric made with overtwisted yarns using alternating S and Z twists, typically woven in a plain or crêpe weave.

Characteristics: Dry, grainy texture; slight mechanical stretch; heavy, fluid drape; excellent drapability.

Product use: Ideal for dresses, draped volumes, suits.

Variants:
- Crêpe de chine : Crêpe fabric made with untwisted warp yarns and weft yarns alternating between S-twist and Z-twist crêpe twists. A fluid, lightweight fabric with fine horizontal ripples in the weft direction, a slight sheen, low wrinkling, and a smooth, slippery handle.

- Crêpe marocain : Similar construction to crêpe de chine, but with alternating S- and Z-twist weft yarns every two picks. The result is a fabric similar to crêpe de chine but with a more pronounced weft texture.

- Crêpe georgette : A very lightweight fabric made from crêpe-twist yarns in both warp and weft. Similar to mousseline but slightly more springy and textured.

- Faux crêpe : A fabric with a crepe weave and an irregular appearance, showing no checkerboard effect, diagonal lines, or long floats. Its irregular surface texture mimics true crêpe, but without overtwisted yarns—resulting in different drape and behavior.

Satin 

Histoire : The name derives from the Arabic zaytouni, believed to reference the Chinese city of Tsia Toun, once famed for its silk satin production. Celebrated for its softness and sheen, silk satin became so iconic that the term has caused confusion—even beyond the textile industry.

See our article: Textile Glossary – Basic Weaves

Technical Description: Satin weave fabric, where binding points are spaced in such a way that they do not touch. The warp yarns are only lightly twisted to allow them to spread and better cover the binding points.

Characteristics: Glossy fabric with a smooth, soft, slippery surface. Prone to snagging—the longer the floats, the greater the risk.

Product use: Dresses, linings, lingerie, blouses, ties, baseball jackets, and tuxedo facings.

Variant :

-    Duchesse Satin : A dense, heavy satin constructed with an additional warp system forming the satin surface. (Note: Sabre-cut velvet is made exclusively on duchesse satin.)

Dupioni

History: Derived from the Italian doppio (meaning “double”), doupion is made from twin cocoons formed when two silkworms spin too closely together, producing fused fibers. When unwound, these cocoons yield clusters of entangled threads, resulting in a naturally irregular texture. This uneven surface places doupion within the category of “wild silks”—a term used broadly for all irregular silk fabrics, whether or not they originate from wild moths.

Technical Description: Most often plain weave, with a smooth warp and a thicker, uneven weft from double cocoons.

Characteristics: Slubs and knots appear irregularly across the weft; the fabric is stiff and holds its shape well.

Product use: Ideal for dresses, jackets, and blouses.

Ottoman

History: This fabric takes its name from the Ottoman Empire. Originally used in upholstery, it was commonly employed to cover cushions, poufs, and ottomans.

Technical Description: A fabric in plain or ribbed weave, typically made with a fine silk warp and a thick weft in cotton (or another fiber).

Characteristics: A thick, glossy fabric with prominent horizontal ribs, slightly stiff with good shape memory. Its structure helps retain warmth.

Product use: Suitable for dresses, suits...

Organza 

History: Named after Urganch (Ourguendj), a city in present-day Turkmenistan located along the Silk Road, organza is closely linked to organsin—raw silk filaments twisted in opposite directions.

Technical Description: Plain weave fabric with a loose structure, made from high-twist organsin yarns.

Characteristics: A stiff, transparent fabric with sheen and strength; prone to wrinkling.

Product use: Suitable for dresses, blouses, and lingerie.

Bourrette

History: Bourrette refers to all the waste material from silk spinning—such as the first filaments caught on branches, broken fibers, and pierced cocoons.

Technical Description: A fabric made from undegummed bourrette silk, typically woven in plain or twill weave.

Characteristics: A matte, irregular, slightly rough fabric with good thermal insulation.

Product use: Suitable for shirts, jackets, and dresses.

Broché

History: From the Italian broccato, referring to the iron broach used in the production of this fabric.

Technical Description: A type of jacquard weave in which the decorative threads appear only where needed to form the pattern. It requires a specialized loom equipped with multiple shuttles, barrels, or espolins.

Characteristics: A supple fabric without added thickness, capable of incorporating multiple colors along the same line, depending on the number of shuttles the loom holds.

Product use: Ideal for dresses and jackets.

Variant :
- Brocade : A broché fabric enhanced with decorative gold or silver threads.

Cigaline

History: Developed in the 1950s by silk manufacturers in Lyon, Cigaline marked the arrival of synthetic fibers in the realm of silk textiles and haute couture. Embraced by houses like Dior, Balenciaga, and Saint Laurent, its name evokes the rustling sound it makes—reminiscent of cicadas. The era’s fascination with synthetics also gave rise to other creatively named, now-forgotten fabrics such as Cracknyl and Croquignol.

Technical Description: A nylon organza.

Characteristics: Highly transparent fabric with a shiny surface and a crisp, rustling hand.