THE FABRIC SELECTOR
Two questions decide a fabric: how heavy is it, and what has it to become. Set both here and the library narrows to the qualities that genuinely work — each one showing the weight window it lands in and why that window suits the garment. Start from a use case below, or set your own filters.
BY APPLICATION
Each application below opens the selector already filtered, with the recommended momme window for that use. These are the windows we quote most often — buyers who name the garment get a straight answer on weight, and only then on family.
WEIGHT × USE MATRIX
The same table buyers ask us on the phone, written down. Use the momme column to check a specification, then filter the selector above for the exact qualities we hold in that weight.
| Application | Recommended momme window | Why that weight | Families to look at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridal & wedding | 6–8 mm / 8–14 mm / 16–25 mm | Sheer for veils and overlays, structured for bows and basques, fluid for bias-cut skirts | Chiffon, organza, taffeta, charmeuse, dupioni |
| Evening gown & couture | 18–25 mm / 22–40 mm | Opaque and fluid at 18–25 mm; sculptural and self-supporting above 22 mm | Charmeuse, duchess satin, mikado, gazar, jacquard |
| Fashion & ready-to-wear | 12–22 mm | Presses sharp, resists creasing in wear, sews cleanly at production speed | Crepe de chine, georgette, twill, charmeuse |
| DIY & craft | 5–16 mm | Light on the machine, forgiving of hand-finishing, affordable to experiment with | Habotai, chiffon, batiste, twill |
| Sleepwear & loungewear | 16–25 mm | Warm without overheating, soft after washing, barely creases when packed | Sandwashed crepe, sandwashed faille, sandwashed charmeuse |
| Lingerie & robes | 5–8 mm / 12–19 mm | Weightless against the skin, or a second-skin slip with real drape | Chiffon, habotai, stretch charmeuse |
| Shirting & blouse | 12–22 mm | Crisp enough for a collar, soft enough to wear all day without creasing badly | Crepe de chine, silk twill, habotai, georgette |
| Tailoring & suiting | 16–25 mm | Tailors to a shoulder line, presses sharp, holds drape through the day | Crepe de chine, faille, shantung, dupioni |
| Lining & slip dress | 5–12 mm | Slips over the body instead of clinging, and survives repeated washing | Habotai, batiste, lightweight taffeta |
| Home & bedding | 19–25 mm | 22 mm is the bedding benchmark — warm, opaque and durable wash after wash | Charmeuse, sandwashed silk, plain satin |
| Scarves & accessories | 6–8 mm / 12–20 mm | Float-light for draping, or a twill weight that takes a print cleanly | Chiffon, foulard, silk twill, grosgrain |
| Costume & stage | 8–30 mm | Has to read from the back row and survive being handled every night | Duchess satin, taffeta, lamé, mikado, noil |
| Kidswear | 6–16 mm | Light, washable and gentle against skin | Batiste, voile, habotai, chiffon |
SIDE BY SIDE
Add up to three qualities with the Compare button on any card and the differences that matter — weight, gsm, hand, best use, features — line up in one table. Most sample requests we receive are a decision between two or three weights; this is where that decision gets made.
The same garment cut in 16 mm and 22 mm is a different garment. Comparing on the spec sheet first saves a sampling round trip and a month of lead time.
Ask for the qualities you shortlisted and we send swatches of the actual stock lot you will receive, not a marketing image.
Stock qualities ship from 1 meter. Custom colour and digital print start at 40 meters per design, so a test print is a real option before you commit.
Send a tech pack, a reference photo or one line of description — we will come back with the family, the momme and the quantity that works.
SILK FABRIC DIRECTORY
Eighteen fabric families from 3 to 70 momme, thirteen application guides, the momme chart, the ready-stock list and the wholesale terms — one link each.