Our Fibers /

Silk

The Lustrous, Mysterious Fiber of Silk

Every year we travel to Asia to purchase Chinese and Thai silk from our trusted suppliers. In China we start with rolls of silk that are hundreds of meters long and then take them to a small family-run workshop where our friends hand-paint, cut, steam and sew our silk scarves, silk bags and clothing one piece at a time.

Our journey also takes us to Thailand, where the rustic production of Thai silk is similar to the methods used in South America. Unlike China, the production here is small-scale and most silk is hand-dyed in kettles then hand-spun by family groups and peasant cooperatives. Afterwards, each of our scarves, from accent strips of lustrous color to elegant shawls, are woven piece by piece on wooden looms, then washed and pressed for shipment.

Incredible Strength, Yet Rare Delicacy

Silk is perhaps the world’s most unlikely fiber, and it has been for nearly five thousand years. It boasts a higher tensile strength than steel, which is why it has been used for bowstrings, parachutes and yes, even armor. Yet at the same time, silk possesses rare beauty and delicacy. While silk can be woven into fabrics as stiff as cardboard, it can also be made into gauzes so fine you can see right through them.

As you may already know, silk is made from the single continuous strand of the silkworm cocoon, some of which can be up to a half-mile long. The nature of that filament depends on the breed of silkworm and its diet, with mulberry leaves yielding the best quality.

Silk’s Long Strange Trip
through History

Sericulture, or silk farming, originated in China about five thousand years ago, and by the first millennium BC caravans laden with precious fibers were wending their way to India, Turkistan and Persia. In the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) rolls of silk were traded along the Silk Road all the way to the Roman Empire, where it was literally worth its weight in gold. Gradually, the cultivation of silk spread to India, Japan and other Asian countries and finally reached the West in 550 AD, when the Emperor Justinian persuaded two Persian monks to smuggle silk worms out of China in the hollow of their bamboo canes. This led to silk production in France and Italy.

CARING FOR SILK

In handwashing silk there is an important advantage; it will refreshen and rejuvenate the fabric. The silk fibers have a natural coating which reacts favorably to warm water washing and actually gives the fabric a natural sizing and better drape. The dry cleaning process does not allow this natural phenomenon to occur.

Marco Polo and the Silk Road

Under the Mongols (1279-1368) the Silk Road was again passable, and Chinese silk appeared once more in the West. Normally, the road would be traveled in segments, and at each link the silk would be sold to another merchant, resulting in astronomical prices in Europe. Yet Marco Polo traveled the entire length of the road to China, called Cathay, and became an administrator for Kubilai Khan. He returned to Venice a rich man twenty years later, gaining himself fame with his then-incredible descriptions of the barely imaginable land.

SHOP SILK →