When we talk about soft and tasty fabrics, the first one that comes to mind is silk. But next to it, we also find others such as satin or satin, which can make many people think that they are the same type of fiber. However, the truth is that silk and satin are not the same, in fact, at a technical level the differences are very noticeable.
How to differentiate silk from satin and how to know that a silk scarf is original?
What is silk?
Silk is the natural fiber from which we make our silk scarves. It is a fiber made by the butterfly larvae of silkworms to form their cocoons. With this fiber, humans create silk fabrics for use in clothing and accessories.
So behind this natural fiber is a laborious work, which in the end results in a fabric of a unique and exceptional softness.
The problem is that sometimes we can find satin or polyester garments labeled as silk when in fact they are not.
What is satin?
Unlike silk, satin is a synthetic fabric made from combinations of silk, polyester or nylon yarns. This makes its production costs much cheaper than those of silk, and therefore the price of satin garments is also cheaper than silk.
The main advantage of satin, besides its price, is that it is easier to maintain and clean. Although obviously, if you are looking for the softness and luster of silk, you will hardly find it in a satin garment.
Differences between silk and satin
- One of the big differences between silk and satin is the price. If you do not know if a garment is really made of silk and its price is very similar to other garments made of other fabrics, you are probably looking at an accessory or garment made of synthetic fabric and not silk.
- The fabric that is made from silk fibers has a triangular structure that allows the light received by the fabric to be reflected at different angles, thus producing a very characteristic sheen and different colors. So another difference between silk and satin is that silk has a more special sheen.
- Satin usually has a shiny side and a more opaque side.
- Not to be overlooked are the characteristics of silk, which allow us to make fabrics that are 100% natural and breathable. This makes silk more weather-adaptive, making it cooler in summer and warmer on cold days. On the other hand, satin is not as breathable and is also warmer in summer.
- Satin does not absorb water. So the moisture recovery of polyester is low, ranging from 0.2 to 0.8 percent.
- Silk has hypoallergenic properties, while satin does not. Silk is inhospitable to dust mites, making it especially advantageous for people with eczema and respiratory diseases such as asthma. On the other hand, silk is immune to fungus and contains no harmful chemical traces and is therefore resistant to mildew and decay.
- Silk prevents hair from frizzing and does not absorb its natural oils.
- Satin can be machine washed, while silk is best washed by hand or with a dry cleaner or special wash.
Conclusion
At Hamzah.es, our online silk scarves store, we work with 100% natural silk of the highest quality, which allows us to offer you exclusive scarves, with bright colors and unique and original designs.
