Silk Twill Fabric

Silk twill is woven with a diagonal rib, which makes it denser, stronger and more dimensionally stable than a plain weave of the same weight. A 14 mm twill behaves like a heavier cloth: it holds a rolled hem, resists pulling at the seam, and does not distort when printed.

That stability is why twill is the default for scarves and foulards — a 90 × 90 cm square needs to stay square through printing, washing and hemming. The same cloth is used for ties, linings that must not stretch, and lightweight tailoring with a dry, matte surface.

At a glance

• Diagonal weave: denser, stronger, less distorting than plain weave
• 14 mm is the scarf and foulard standard; 18–20 mm for garment use
• Matte surface with a fine diagonal line — prints read crisp
• Holds a hand-rolled hem without puckering

How Silk Twill & Foulard is woven

Structure: Twill (2/2 or 3/1)

Silk twill is woven with a diagonal binding — the binding point steps one pick to the left or right on every successive end, producing the characteristic diagonal rib. Because the floats are shorter than in a satin, the surface is far more abrasion-resistant while still showing a soft lustre.

Twill has the best wrinkle recovery of any silk structure and a firmer, more elastic hand than a plain weave of the same weight. It is the standard base for printed scarves precisely because the diagonal holds the print registration and the cloth does not skew easily.

Understanding the structure is the cheapest way to predict behaviour: the length of the float decides the lustre and the snag resistance, and the twist in the yarn decides how much the cloth creases. If you are choosing between two families, the weight chart and the fabric selector filter on both.

Weights we weave — and what each one is for

Momme fixes the price, the opacity and the drape. The table below is the range we actually quote for Silk Twill & Foulard. The exact weight and width are confirmed in writing on every quotation.

Not sure which weight you need? The momme chart converts every weight to gsm and matches each band to the garments it serves, and the selector filters the whole library by weight and application.

What Silk Twill Fabric is used for

Typical applications in this family are printed scarves and foulards, neckties, dress and skirt linings, unstructured jackets, wide trousers, grosgrain ribbon. Each link opens the buying guide for that application, with the weight windows we recommend and the fabrics our clients actually order.

Silk Twill Fabric vs Silk Habotai

Habotai is lighter and smoother; twill is denser and more stable, which is why scarf printers specify twill for anything that must stay square. Read the Silk Habotai guide.

Cutting and sewing this weight

Silk is not difficult to sew, but it punishes the wrong needle. The parameters below are the ones our clients converge on for this weight band; test on an offcut first, because a needle size that is fine for one finish will pick threads in another.

• Cut single layer. Silk shifts, and a folded lay gives you two panels that are not mirror images.
• Pin inside the seam allowance only, with fine glass-head or silk pins — a pin hole through charmeuse or a satin face is permanent.
• Use a fine, well-twisted thread. A thick thread in a fine needle leaves a visible channel and puckers the seam.
• Mark the straight grain on every panel before you lift it off the table. On a bias-cut garment the grain line is the whole design.
• French seams or hairline seams on anything sheer: a plain turned seam shows as a dark line through the cloth.

How much silk twill & foulard to order

Planning quantities, from standard block patterns. Figures are for a plain layout with no pattern repeat to match.

These are planning figures from standard block patterns, not a cutting guarantee. They assume no pattern matching and no nap. Add 10–15% for a large repeat or a one-direction print, and add your shrinkage allowance before you order. If a program is costing on metres, send us the marker and we will quote against the actual consumption.

What to check before you cut

Every roll is inspected before dispatch, but cloth is a natural product and dye lots vary. These are the eight checks worth making at goods-in — they take two minutes and they are the difference between a claim and a write-off.

Every roll we ship is inspected before it leaves, and any piece with a defect is cut short and the metrage credited rather than passed on. Even so, check the cloth before it goes under the knife: once a piece is cut it is accepted. Report anything within seven days of delivery with the roll number.

Ordering: minimums, colours and finishing

Stock colours are available from 1 metre, which makes sampling practical. Custom dyeing starts at 40 metres per colour with a lab dip approved before bulk; digital printing starts at 40 metres per design after a strike-off. Widths are 114 / 140 cm, and the momme tolerance is stated on the quotation rather than assumed.

For a production program, approve a one-metre cut in the bulk colour before the roll is dyed — screen colour and cloth colour are not the same thing, and silk twill fabric is a family where a shade difference shows across a seam.

Care and handling

Hand wash cold with a pH-neutral silk detergent, or dry clean. Do not soak or wring; roll in a towel and dry flat away from direct sun. Press on the reverse with a cool iron through a cloth. Expect 3–5% shrinkage on the first wash, so pre-shrink before cutting a production run.

Frequently asked questions

Why is silk twill used for scarves?

Because the diagonal weave is dense and stable: it keeps a printed square square, resists distortion during washing and hemming, and holds a hand-rolled edge without puckering. 14 mm twill is the industry standard for a 90 cm scarf.

What is a foulard?

Foulard is a lightweight, closely woven silk twill, traditionally used for scarves and neckerchiefs. In practice the terms overlap; both describe a smooth, dense, matte twill around 12–16 mm.

Is silk twill good for trousers?

From 18 mm up, yes. Twill's stability keeps a wide-leg trouser from growing at the knee, and its matte surface reads as tailoring rather than lingerie. 22 mm is a good starting point for soft trousers.

How do I know this is real mulberry silk and not polyester satin?

Ask for a burn test on a cutting: mulberry silk burns slowly, smells like burning hair, and leaves a brittle black bead that crushes to powder. Polyester melts, smells sweet-acrid and leaves a hard bead. We supply 100% mulberry silk and state the composition on every quotation; if you need formal confirmation we can arrange third-party fibre analysis on the bulk.

What width do the rolls come in, and can I get a wider one?

Standard widths are 114 cm and 140 cm, and the usable width excludes the selvedge. Wider widths are woven to order on a minimum quantity. If a marker needs a specific width, tell us before quoting — the price is calculated on the width as well as the weight.

How much shrinkage should I allow?

Silk typically relaxes 3–8% on the first wet treatment, more on washed finishes and less on a fabric that has already been sand-washed. The safe approach is to pre-shrink a full length before cutting a production run, or to have the piece steam-shrunk. Do not guess: the allowance belongs in the marker, not in the pattern.

Can you match a colour I send you?

Yes. Send a physical swatch or a Pantone reference and we dye a lab dip for approval before bulk. Custom colours start at 40 metres per colour. Screen and monitor colours are not a reliable reference — a photograph of a fabric is two colour conversions away from the cloth.

What is the lead time?

Stock colours dispatch in a few working days. Dyed-to-order runs need the lab dip approved first, then dyeing and finishing; printed runs need a strike-off approved before bulk. The quotation carries the confirmed date for your quantity, and we would rather quote a longer date and meet it.

Do you ship samples, and can I order just one metre?

Yes. Stock colours are available from one metre so you can test drape, dye uptake and washing before committing. We post swatch cards worldwide; tell us which families you are comparing and we will send the relevant colours.