I love silk. I love fibers. I love mixing fibers.
Thankfully silk is just one of many fibers I like to wear to add depth to outfits – or when I just want to feel effortlessly sexy and put together.
Since I own an eco-boutique I get lots of women who thumb past the silk section and I hear all kinds of strange things like “My mother wears it so I don’t want to,” “It’s too hard to take care of,” and my favorite, “Where would I wear it?”
Anywhere!
So on my Facebook page the other day I wrote: “Do you think silk is for young women? Seems like so many younger women are afraid to wear it!” And 21 comments later, I was surprised to see some of the responses:
“Afraid to wash it is probably more like it.”
“Silk can’t handle my lifestyle.”
“It’s the stain and care factor that kills me.”
I was happy to see the support for silk too, and the advice the different women – both eco-fashion writers and designers – had for on the fencers.
“Twill silk is a good bet for the wary… a coarser weave, more durable. Maybe it’s washing it that concerns them… it’s best to hand wash (won’t shrink) in lukewarm water with non alkaline soap (baby soap) and a touch of white vinegar in rinse water. Easy!”
“Silk is not that difficult to look after. You can either dry clean or hand wash and iron on low heat. Also satiny silk stains less than most other fabrics.”
“I wear tons of silk, winter and especially summer, my skin seems to love it. I’m not sure what you mean by younger, I’m 33 and wore it throughout my twenties, but then again, I was raised by my grandma who also wore it a lot and taught me how to wash clothes (not just throwing it in the machine!) so I’m more informed than average I think. I really love silk and am wearing a new silk top right now actually! In the summer the perspiration dries really quickly, a godsend for sweaty girls like me!”
Silk is rearing it’s delicate head more and more as seen in the recent sustainable collections of Gretchen Jones’ Mothlove, Dahl by Alison Kelly, H Fredriksson and Feral Childe, each with a very different spin on the fabric.
Obviously young, hip designers are creating and wearing it, but how do you feel about silk? Do you think it’s only for your mom or grandma?
Image: Batik Ella Dress from H Fredriksson