Brushed Silk
Produced by gently brushing the fabric surface to pull up fibers from the yarn, producing a luxuriously soft & downy feel to its surface.

Charmeuse
Loved for its lustrous shine and sumptuous feel, charmeuse is the most widely recognized of the silk fabrics. Wonderfully versatile, this elegant fabric has medium weight and some natural elasticity, making it perfect for skirts, dresses, eveningwear, nightgowns, lingerie, and gently shaped tops.

Crepe de Chine (CDC)
The matte surface and "pebbled" texture of this graceful fabric reflect individual pinpoints of light, giving it wonderful chromatic depth and striking eye-appeal. This luxurious silk has the additional virtues of great durability and excellent wrinkle resistance. Lightweight with a pleasing drape, designers choose it among silk fabrics for elegant slacks, skirts, dresses, suits, and eveningwear.

Drop needle stitching
A production technique that disengages a single needle, thus preventing it from knitting a stitch. The “missing” stitch thus forms parallel lines at even intervals in the fabric, producing a beautiful vertical rib-like affect.

Dupioni
This shimmering & lustrous silk is woven from two different cocoons that have nestled together. Also spelled douppioni or dupion, the name is actually a corruption of the Italian “duplicato”, meaning “duplicate.” The slightly tangled cocoons cause the resulting silk to seemingly change its hue in different lights. It takes dye easily, and so it’s usually produced in bright shades, enhancing its beautiful iridescence. It has a moderately crisp drape, subtle luster, and a slightly pebbled texture, though not so much as crepe de Chine. Produced in mid- to lightweights, look for it in fine suits, dresses, tops, and more.

Enzyme Washing
Silk is washed in gentle, biodegradable enzymes to make the fabric softer, more supple, and neutral in color'providing a worn-in, vintage look. The enzymes do not, however, compromise the strength of the silk in any way.

Fagoting
A classic embroidery produced by pulling out horizontal threads of the fabric and tying the remaining cross threads into hourglass-shaped groupings.

Filament Silk (Reeled Silk)
Made of individual strands that vary in length, this versatile knit fabric maximizes silk’s superb ability to insulate your body and wick away moisture. It’s known among silk fabrics for being lightweight yet incredibly strong. (Silk filaments actually have greater tensile strength than steel, even though they’re finer in diameter than silk fibers!) Its supple & sumptuous texture is ideal for luxurious undergarments and layering pieces—such as slips & camisoles. And its natural stretch ensures all-day comfort, making it perfect for beneath casual & business clothes or your activewear.

Fuji
Exquisite with its soft luster and a lavish touch that’s reminiscent of the finest suedes, this medium-weight fabric is woven from spunsilk fibers, giving it excellent durability and great wrinkle resistance. Having a fluid drape and a texture that’s practically intoxicating, designers love it among silk fabrics for dresses, women’s blouses, and men’s sport shirts.

Garment Washing
When a finished garment is treated with a special 'wash,' be it with enzymes, herbs, or even teas, prior to being ready to sell. These different washes produce a variety of effects including increased softness, lightness, and they prevent future shrinking of the garment. Sleepwear and fashions often are garment washed.

Georgette
This soft & lustrous fabric drapes very fluidly and falls easily into soft ripples. It has a grainy texture and sheer feel that’s reminiscent of crepe de Chine. It’s durable and greatly favored for elegant eveningwear, dresses, skirts, and gently fitted blouses & tops.

Habutai
This silk is soft, lightweight, and lustrous with a graceful drape and smooth surface. It was first used to line kimonos, and the word "habutai" actually means "soft & downy" in Japanese. Today, habutai is used to make everything from jacket linings to bed quilts, as well as blazers, skirts, lingerie, and more.

Herringbone
A traditional woven twill characterized by an arrowhead pattern that resembles the skeleton of a herring, thus the name. Usually woolen but created in pure silk for its utter luxury & sumptuous feel. Look for classic shirts, pants, and blazers created in this unique fabric.

High-Twist Silk
Not really a silk fabric. Instead, it refers to the twisting of silk yarn, which yields a superior feel and magnificent wearing qualities, making it the designer’s choice for luxurious, feminine, and dare we say sexy creations. Made of the strongest, most durable kind of yarn, it’s often found in premium quality casual clothes, and underthings. Here’s the difference: Regular yarn is made by twisting two or more threads of silk together, about two turns per centimeter. High-twist yarn is created similarly, but instead of two turns per centimeter, between four and eight turns are made.

Interlock Silk
Interlock is a superior way of constructing silk threads. Two plies are knit simultaneously to form a single, thicker, heavier ply. The result is more natural elasticity and a very soft feel inside & out. Expect to find interlock knit silk in finer apparel.

Jacquards
A system of weaving that uses a highly versatile patterning mechanism, allowing for the creation of large intricate designs. Fashion designers love silk jacquards for their skirt, jacket, and eveningwear creations. Interior decorators greatly prize them for sheets, pillowcases, and throws.

Matka
The distinctive irregular finish of this heavyweight fabric is achieved by hand spinning the short ends of silk filament into a thick yarn—without first removing the natural gum from it, which is otherwise typically done. It has an almost tweedy appearance. Perfect for suits, jackets, and blazers.

Noil
Called “raw silk” by some, noil is particularly distinguished for the subtle flecks that are actually particles from the silkworm’s cocoon. A muted sheen gives the fabric its elegant patina. Noil resists wrinkles and travels well, making it an excellent choice for knit sweaters. When woven, noil is a favorite for suits, jackets, and slacks. It has a casual feel with natural elasticity—better than linen and without the wrinkles.

Ribbed Silk
Created with two sets of knitting needles operating at right angles to each other. Ribbing enhances silk’s elasticity as well as its insulating properties, both of which are pretty impressive to begin with. (Check out our ribbed silk long underwear!) In addition to entire garments, ribbed silk is ideal for sleeve, neck, or waistbands, and special types of trims.

Sand Washing
Similar to garment and enzyme washing, only instead of using an agent to alter the texture and look of the garment, sand is used to aid in very minor abrasion of the fibers, leading to a softer hand and more prism-like color reflection on the silk.

Sateen
A sateen finish is created when threads are woven 4 over, 1 under, so more threads are on the surface of the fabric. The result is an extremely soft, smooth feel with beautiful luster.

Shantung
Named for the Chinese province where it originated. Similar to dupioni, but featuring a more irregular and textured surface.

Silk Angora
Angora is true mohair, which is the long hair of the Angora goat, a kind of wool that’s so soft and luxurious that the industry describes it as “silky” alone by itself! But you can’t have too much of a good thing: we’ve combined it with pure silk to create an even more luxurious blend. 

Silk Cashmere
A blend of what are perhaps the two most luxurious fabrics in the world: pure silk and the fine wool that comes from the undercoat of the cashmere goat.

Silk Bamboo
Created by spinning the pulp of new bamboo canes into threads, which are then blended with pure silk and woven into a luxurious fabric. It has the softness of cashmere, and is even more breathable than cotton. Perfect for luxurious sleepwear and casual apparel. 

Silk Cotton
Blending cotton with silk produces a luxurious fabric with superior substance and body. Look for luxurious silk cotton jackets, pants, sweaters, and tops. 

Silk Faille
The distinctive ribbing of this handsome silk is created by weaving a thicker yarn into the fabric at set intervals. It has a subdued sheen, drapes beautifully, and readily holds a crease, making it preferred for dressy apparel that’s tailored, pleated, or otherwise "fashion forward." 

Silk Linen
The soft feel and elegant drape of pure cotton linen gets only better when blended with luxurious all-natural silk. Used to create finer fashions and premium apparel. 

Silk Mesh
A loosely woven fabric with many closely spaced holes, mesh is incredibly breathable and forms closely to the body, making it ideal for chemises, intimates, and as a soft lining for jackets or robes.

Silk Modal
Silk and modal are a perfect pair considering each is highly absorbent yet smooth, they both can be dyed brilliant colors, and each disappears under dressy fashions. Modal is made of the cellulose of beech trees, and silk modal is luxuriously soft yet comfortably light. It is commonly used in underwear, t-shirts, layering pieces, and active wear.

Silk Nylon Viscose
Blending natural silk with strong nylon and soft viscose creates a durable yarn with a delicate hand. Because of its substantial strength, silk nylon viscose is a perfect medium on which to place intricate embroidery or beading. It's also incredibly versatile and can be knit into a variety of weights and textures.

Silk Piqué
A knit silk fabric with a waffle or diamond-shaped pattern. Piqué knits gained international notoriety when René Lacoste, a 1920s French tennis champion, designed the polo shirt—albeit his was mere cotton! 

Silk Terry
Terry is commonly made of cotton woven into an uncut looped pile—a versatile fabrication renowned for its softness & absorbency. Adding pure silk yields an extraordinarily soft & luxurious fabric that's ideal for premium sportswear and "dressy casual" apparel. 

Silk Viscose
Like modal, viscose is made of tree cellulose (a viscous liquid, hence the name). It doesn't wrinkle, and it's blended with over 50% silk for an easy-wear, easy-care fabric with the most flattering drape. We've added just a smidge of spandex and knit it in a 1x1 rib to further enhance its wrinkle resistance and comfort for our travel-perfect separates.

Silk Wool
Adding silk to wool creates a fabric that feels wonderful against your skin—something that’s not a feature of pure wool by itself! Discover the smooth warmth & beauty of silk wool sweaters, jackets, socks, and even knee & legwarmers.

Spunsilk
This medium-to-heavyweight knit is ideal for cold weather garments such as turtlenecks, long johns, and sleepwear. Although similar to knit cotton in appearance, the similarity stops there. Spunsilk boasts superior warmth & absorbency. It’s warm and pliable with natural stretch. And it has that elegant luster & feel that only silk can offer.

Topstitching
An additional means of securing fabric plies that’s both decorative and functional, whereby the original seam is folded under and sewn down. Double-needle topstitching employs dual needles that lay down twin rows of closely spaced parallel stitchwork.

Twill
Distinguished by diagonal lines that herald its superior strength & durability, this double weave fabric has a muted luster and supple feel. Medium-weight fabrications make ideal sleepwear and shirts. Heavyweight versions are often the choice for the most beautiful dresses, slacks, and blazers.