Have you ever looked at a fabulous silk dress and wondered what it is made of? Or maybe going to fancy shops or boutiques and catching glamorous cloth with a very smooth and fancy touch? Or even imagining a silk dress for you sitting so elegant and very high-cost looking? Yep, we are talking about silk right now. The material that probably your dream silk dress is made of. Stay with us to know more.
If you wonder if silk wrinkles easily, the answer is yes; Silk can easily wrinkle and is prone to creases even when folded. However, compared to other similar delicate fabrics, wrinkles on a silk garment are light and pretty easy to smoothen.
Key Takeaways
- Silk clothing has a very strange process of manufacturing. But that increases its quality, durability, and fashionability. The procedure of producing is a little bit harder, but your silk clothes will look better than ever.
- This material dates from many years ago in China; it was used even before Christ years. It is now still as popular, and its biggest manufacturer is still China, even though India and West Europe had their hands mixed a little.
- Silk garments might be more or less resistant to wrinkles, depending on the quality of production.
- You can iron silk, and obviously, an iron, steamer, or a clothing hanger are your best buddies in maintaining silk wrinkle free.
- Silk is naturally made, hypoallergenic, and quality fabric to purchase. Its cost is a little bit higher for a reason.
- Silk is known to be eco-friendly, but the making of it pollutes the environment. However, silk is biodegradable and naturally made, which makes it not as toxic as other fabrics.
What is silk?
Silk happens to be the so-called ‘ strongest’ material in the world due to the Bioengineering laboratories that made it possible. While made from natural ingredients and natural processes, this material is priced higher than other fabrics. Silk is made from cocoons which are larvae insects secrete. This secretory contains proteins and fibroins, which are crucial for the making of silk. Usually, the big demands for this material show that wild silk was so popular even as early as 3600BC. The other places where it got popular fastest are India and the western part of Europe because larvae insects are usually found there.
China’s production of silk led to a trading industry in Europe since Chinese people sold silk in return for commodities. Nowadays, just as it has been in the ancient world, silk is produced by collecting silkworm cocoons and exposing them to heat. When cocoons are already heated up, producers take their threads out. The cocoons are also boiled so the producers can remove the sericin, which is a sticky liquid. So, by that, it means that one single string of silk results in an unraveled cocoon. Many animal rights organizations find this way of producing silk inhumane and ridiculous, but it has always been and will be produced like that unless of course, the future brings something different to the table.
Does silk wrinkle?
Well, silk wrinkles but not as much as some other fabrics. Silk can also crease when it is folded, so you need to take care of the way you fold it to decrease creases. So, can silk wrinkle? Yes. Is the wrinkling problematic like it is for other fabrics? No, the wrinkles are light and easy to smoother up.
How to get wrinkles out of silk?
The three holy spirits of silk maintenance are ironing silk, steaming silk, and clothes hanger. You can easily get the wrinkles out of your silk clothes by simply ironing them on a normal iron setting or hand steaming them, also in a normal setting. Silk is not sensitive to heat because of the way it is made, so you don’t have to constantly change the low heat on your steamer or iron. Hanging your silk clothes on a hanger prevents the fabric from wrinkling. While drying up in a straight position, it is nearly impossible for the silk to wrinkle or crease.
Why do wrinkles appear on silk?
Mostly because it is a protein-based material made from natural ingredients, but usually, the deciding factor is the quality of the silk. No matter if it’s protein-based or not, the simple manufacturing process decides whether the silk will be more or less wrinkle resistant. Also, not taking care of the silk after you wore it plays a general role. Also, if you put your silk clothes all crumpled up in your washer, of course, they will come out wrinkled or creased.
Silk characteristics
Silks’ main characteristic is that it keeps your body cooler during hot weather but gives you a heating effect during winter time, which is very practical. What I also like about silk is the fact that it is stain or odor-resistant, meaning it doesn’t absorb stain marks, sweat, or odors onto the clothing itself, unlike other fabrics. Also, it is amazing to know that silk is hypoallergenic! You are getting many benefits for one purchase.
Is silk eco-friendly?
Silk is considered to be a sustainable fabric. It is biodegradable. But on the other hand, silk is known to leave a bad environmental footprint. Some institutions and laboratories say that it has a worse impact on nature than synthetic materials. This happens because the production of silk requires very much water and high temperatures that take a lot of energy. Also, the chemicals used to bleach the dye from the raw silk can pollute local water sources and soil. With that known, there is more to researching what kind of footprint silk leaves, but for now, we know that silk manufacturing is not a big problem compared to other pollution contributors. However, it is very much solvable.
Final Words
Whether your silk blouse will wrinkle more or less depends on how it was produced. Was it in a very quality way or a little less? Nevertheless, wrinkles are so easy to take out of silk, but it is even better if we prevent wrinkles from happening by using a hanger. So, even if silk is a little bit more expensive than other fabrics it is surely worth it! You are getting a long-lasting purchase with quality characteristics and many benefits all at once. Silk can never be a bad decision.
Further Reading
There are some other blogs that you might want to read if you enjoyed what you have read so far. The Rayon and Spandex materials are different from one another.
In terms of sewing machines, a comparison between the Brother SE600 and Brother SE625 might be interesting.
I graduated from London College of Fashion, and I’ve been working for a Fashion Design company for 10 years. My other hobbies are going to the gym and reading.
