Guide to Bridal Fabrics, Part I: Satin vs. Silk
Listen, I didn’t know much about different fabrics until I worked in the bridal industry - and to be honest, it’s not really that important to know as you begin the journey to find your gown. That being said, understanding what different fabrics are, where they come from, and how they impact the design of a garment can be helpful. Plus, you may come to appreciate the fascinating history and culture of textiles - words I never thought I’d say.
As a brief primer, the most common fabrics you’ll find used to make bridal gowns are:
Satin
Silk
Lace
Tulle
Within these types of fabrics, there are many variations - such as silk taffeta and mikado. We’ll touch on a few of the sub-genres of these textiles briefly in this series, but focus mainly on understanding the fabrics you’ll most often find in a bridal shop.
To start this series, we’ll take a look at satin and silk - two common fabrics that are often mixed up, but foundational to the traditional bridal gown.
Satin
Satin was first developed in 12th century China, where it was exclusively made with silk. The techniques used to create the lustrous, rich fabric passed across the Silk Road to the Middle East where it became widely produced, and then landed in Italy - the first Western country to product the fabric - before spreading across Europe in the 14th century. “Satin” comes from “Zaitun”, the medieval Arabic name for the Chinese port city of Quanzhou where the weave originated.
Embroidered Chinese textile from the 8th century Tang Dynasty - Metropolitan Museum, New York
I’ve read many descriptions of how satin is made, and to be honest, I don’t understand it, but I’ll do my best. In a 2021 article from MasterClass, they offer the most simplified explanation I was able to find: “Satin is woven from long, continuous fibers, and satin is defined by the length of the filament, not the fiber used”, and is created using a technique on the loom where four or more “weft threads” (the horizontal thread) goes over one “warp thread” (vertical). In as plain words as I can muster, the stationary warp thread is held taut while four or more vertical threads fill in the space, and this is done with long fibers. Maybe? Someone correct me!
While the technicalities aren’t as important, it’s helpful to understand how using long filaments gives satin the characteristics we love, especially when used to create bridal gowns.
So why do we love satin?
The fabric is ‘shiny’ without being SHINY, you know? It’s lustrous, or glossy - but not sparkly. It refracts light beautifully, which makes it especially ideal for white garments since it prevents it from looking flat in photos. Matte satin photographs well for the opposite reason: since it doesn’t reflect light, the draping creates depth with the shadows of the fabric, and can be easier to photograph in varied lighting.
Since the fibers are highly concentrated and create a pliable, durable textile, satin drapes beautifully, which makes it ideal for long, voluminous skirts. This is why you may also see satin used in upholstery or curtains.
Satin is also strong and durable, since the fibers are woven so taut, and are fairly wrinkle-resistant
While there are many variations of satin, as with most textiles, the only one I recommend being somewhat familiar with is charmeuse (French for ‘charmer’). Charmeuse is more lightweight, and has an interesting texture that camouflages wrinkles well. You’ll find charmeuse used more commonly in bridesmaid or special occasion dresses, but it is one of my personal favorite fabrics because of its weight, the way it drapes, and the ease of traveling with it especially in heat.
Every bridal shop you walk into will have gowns made of various types of satin. Most satin gowns you see will appear a little more structured, and may feel heavy on the hanger depending on the cut (remember, any gown that feels heavy on the hanger will not feel that way on you - especially once it’s altered - as the gown should be doing all the work to hold itself up). If you are looking for a gown that is timeless, elegant, and durable, satin is an ideal fabric to seek out in a gown.
Silk
If you know anything about history, you know that silk may be the most important textile in global history. The Silk Road is one of the earliest examples of commercial globalization, and played a substantial role in geopolitics for centuries. I’m sure many tomes have been written about silk, so I’ll keep this brief.
Like satin, silk originated in China, and there is archaeological evidence of its use as early as 6500 BC. It wasn’t until the 27th century BC (yes I had to google that - it’s 2700 BC) that Empress Leizu developed sericulture - the art of making silk. Cheers to another amazing woman changing fashion history forever! I won’t recount it here, but the myth of Leizu discovering and creating silk is a fun one to read.
Like most luxurious fabrics, silk was primarily reserved for nobles and royalty, but as wealth grew in Chinese society the fabric became more commonly used for clothing. By the 11th century, largely due to the massive network of trade routes that had been established, silk was widely produced throughout Europe and an important economic asset for Italy in particular. The sought-after fabric wasn’t introduced to the U.S. — then just a collection of colonies known as ‘the New World’ — until the 17th century, by King James I. Massachusetts was actually one of the hubs of silk production through the early 20th century: Northampton had Nonotuck Silk Company, Canton had Eureka, and Nantucket even had its own factory. Japan supplied the silk to the U.S. until World War II, when it cut off supplies, spawning the production of silk blends and other materials that were cheaper to produce, and remain common today.
The harvesting and creation of silk is one of the most interesting processes to me. Silk is comprised of fibroin, a protein used by certain insects to make cocoons; one of these insects is bombyx mori, worms that only live in mulberry trees (commonly known as ‘silkworms’). The cocoons of the worm larvae are harvested at a very particular stage in their metamorphosis, then are exposed to high heat to prevent the worms from continuing to morph. Then, they may be boiled briefly before harvesters very meticulously unravel it into one big, long silk fiber.
When I see and feel a 100% silk garment, I love to think about the history and laborious process behind that piece of fabric — we often take for granted how these textiles and clothes connect us to history and culture, but silk is particularly profound because it truly shaped the world as we know it today. The next time you wear a silk scarf, or try on a silk wedding gown, take a moment to appreciate how the garment connects you to history, because without it the world today would not be the same.
Ralph Lauren ready to wear, Spring/Summer 2012
So why do people covet silk for wedding gowns?
It is a lightweight fabric but simultaneously one of the strongest, making it durable yet easy to wear
Like satin, it refracts light beautifully, giving it a lustrous shimmer that evokes luxury
Silk drapes beautifully, creating soft folds that slip like waves; while satin has a more tangible structure, silk truly hangs, and moves easily in a more flowy manner
ALLEGEDLY, silk is highly breathable - maybe it’s just that we more commonly wear silk-poly blends, but I have always found silk to be difficult to wear in heat or even cooler weather that is slightly humid; I watch out for wrinkles when I wear it, so I recommend having it steamed as close to your wedding day as possible if you do choose a silk dress
While silk gowns are less common these days, if you are looking for a dress that feels effortless, a little sexy, that photographs and moves beautifully - it may be worth seeking one out.
