When people imagine 100% silk clothing they usually envisage something made in a fabric like charmeuse silk, or silk chiffon.  Many people aren’t even aware that 100% silk can also be knitted, creating an exceptionally soft, fine fabric that works beautifully next to the skin.  So when customers discover SilkLiving’s gloriously soft and fine Puresilk garments they feel as though they’ve struck gold.

It can be a little confusing when deciding whether to buy a Puresilk garment over one that is, say, 100% cotton or merino wool.  However, not only is pure silk arguably a lot softer against your skin than any other fibre, it also has several other inherent qualities that may influence your decision:

1. Silk Helps Regulate Body Temperature.  Silk regulates your body temperature by allowing moisture and heat to move away from the body, while its fine fibres provide light insulation.  When you sweat, silk wicks away moisture and keeps you cool; when already cool it insulates and maintains warmth.  When cotton gets damp, on the other hand, it absorbs the moisture and loses its ability to insulate.  Other fibres are also less breathable in the heat.
2. 100% Silk is Lightweight and Warm Without Bulk.  We use 95-125gsm silk thread for our Puresilk Base Layers, creating a lightweight fabric that's warm without being bulky.  It's fine enough to sit comfortably underneath other clothing, making 100% silk base layers particularly useful for layering through the seasons.
   
3. Knitted Silk has Natural Stretch.  Silk fibres have excellent flexibility, meaning they drape beautifully and move smoothly against the skin.  Our knitted Puresilk combines this fluid flexibility with the inherent elasticity of the knitted stitch to create garments that stretch comfortably with your body.  While fibres such as cotton often depend on the addition of elastane or spandex to keep their shape, the unique structure of knitted 100% silk offers natural, breathable give.  
4. Is Silk Good for Sensitive Skin?  Silk filaments have a smooth, rounded shape, which means they create very little friction against the skin and are less likely to cause scratching or irritation.  Mulberry silk also contains 18 different amino acids within its protein fibres.  The molecular structure of these amino acids closely resemble proteins naturally found in human tissue, which contributes to silk's exceptional compatibility with the body and makes it particularly well suited to being worn next to the skin.
5. Silk Dries Quickly.  Silk is incredibly fast drying which makes it super-practical when managing your laundry or for your travel wardrobe.  It’s also wrinkle-resistant so it’s ready to wear straight from the clothesline (or shower rail!).
6. Why Does Silk Feel So Smooth and Luxurious?  Silk is the only natural, continuous filament fibre, which means its fibres are naturally smooth and straight.  Unlike wool, which has a more irregular surface, silk feels exceptionally smooth to the touch and is shinier to the eye, giving it an altogether more luxurious look and feel, even when it’s knitted into jersey.

Hear what Alex has to say:

I bought a couple of these tee shirts 5 or so years ago and they have been absolute life savers to me. I've been wearing them pretty much daily for this long to all sorts of occasions (work, gym, hike, even sleep in them sometimes) and they are still going strong. In fact I think they get better with wear - a sign of real quality clothes which is so hard to find these days. I'm a big fan and have hooked my mum onto them too. Men's version of these is just as great!

Many people stay away from 100% silk, thinking it will take more care than their regular laundry, but caring for your Puresilk, garments is much the same as caring for wool. If you’ve already included natural products (like wool or cashmere) in your wardrobe, you'll be familiar with what caring for Puresilk means.

We might be biased, but we can’t help suggesting 100% silk base layers as the seasons change.  Lightweight, warm and beautifully soft against the skin, Puresilk is made for layering - and for anyone who appreciates the comfort of pure silk.