Why Silk Quality Matters More Than First Impressions

Mulberry silk is synonymous with luxury; prized for its fluid drape, luminous sheen, and beautifully soft feel against the skin.  It’s no wonder it’s so loved by so many.

But not all mulberry silk is created equal.

What feels and looks exquisite at first touch doesn’t always tell the full story.  Over time, differences in quality can reveal themselves – in how a garment wears, washes, and holds its beauty.

At SilkLiving, we believe silk should be more than just beautiful on day one.  It should continue to perform, wear after wear.  And we work hard with our suppliers to ensure this is achieved.

Beyond the Surface: What True Silk Quality Means

Silk is often judged by what you can immediately see and feel – its softness, weight, sheen and drape.  While these are important, they’re only part of the picture.

Silk is a remarkably responsive fibre and even small differences in how it’s processed can have a big impact over time.  Lower-quality silk may begin to show signs of wear sooner – signs such as dulling, loss of strength, or reduced smoothness.

That’s why two garments that look almost identical at first can feel very different a few months later.

The Craft Behind Long-Lasting Silk

True quality starts at a deeper level – in how the silk is carefully prepared and crafted.

• Consistency of filament length affects the fabric’s drape, surface feel, and how the silk will age.  Short or broken filaments cause the fabric to pill and lose sheen - especially in next-to-skin layers. 

• Balanced sericin removal is critical.  If the silk is over-degummed the initial feel is luxurious, however the silk will weaken quickly.  If it’s under-degummed it holds strength, but the soft feel is not achieved.  Two seemingly identical pieces of fabric can behave differently simply because of this one step.

• Thoughtful construction - Yarn twist and ply both impact the sheen, softness, strength and durability of the fabric.  Low twist retains the sheen and softness silk is known for.  High twist and multi-ply yarns add strength and shape retention is important for silk clothing designed for regular, everyday wear.

These details may not be visible at a glance, but they make all the difference in how your silk lives with you.

Where our Fabrics Are Different

At SilkLiving, we’ve taken these technical elements a step further through the development of our own proprietary fabrics – a process grounded in both experience and scientific understanding of silk fibre performance.

Working closely with our manufacturing partners we refine and balance each stage of development - from filament selection and yarn construction through to knitting, finishing and dyeing.  Our scientifically informed approach has allowed us to create fabrics that deliver not only exceptional softness and fluidity, but also long-term durability and consistent performance.

The result is fabrics that feel beautiful against the skin, yet perform with quiet resilience - maintaining their integrity, shape and smoothness through repeated wear and washing. 

It’s a quieter kind of innovation, not immediately visible, but something to enjoy and appreciate over time.

Silk Designed to Be Worn and Loved

This approach continues into every SilkLiving piece, thoughtfully designed for real life.  Our silk pieces are created not just to look and feel beautiful on day one, but to be worn, enjoyed, and relied on - day after day.

Because true luxury isn’t just how something feels when it’s new.

It’s how it continues to feel.