Mulberry silk fabric was born way before the concept of luxury fabrics was created. So, we can say that this silk is one of those pioneer fabrics that made our luxury fashion so rich and versatile.
Today, team Muslin Dhaka is sharing their practical experience and knowledge of luxury mulberry silk fabric. From its history to its features, we’re covering everything.
Let’s begin
What is Mulberry Silk?
Mulberry silk is a type of silk fabric that comes with natural and enhanced properties. The production requires domesticated Bombyx mori moth and mulberry tree leaves. It’s easily understandable how this fabric was named.
There are various types of silk fibers across the world. Such as Muga, Tasar, Tussah, Mussel, Coan, etc. But none of them is as rich as Mulberry. The fiber isn’t only the best for luxury purposes, but also good for medical uses like hair and skincare.
Mulberry silk is very smooth and soft. Yet, the fabric lasts longer than your usual silk fabrics. The yarns are long and uniform, which helps to make the best-looking outfits and accessories.
The main use of this luxury fabric is in making exclusive dresses. Luxury hubs in Europe purchase a huge number of yarns and fabrics from Asian regions to make designer items. Some even produce their own stock.
However, mulberry silk bedding is becoming very popular for its hypoallergenic properties. Mulberry pillowcases or duvets are medically suggested for dry and sensitive skin.
How Does Mulberry Silk Fabric Feel?
Mulberry silk feels pretty soft and smooth. Unless an exceptional treatment or dye is given to the fabric.
To be specific, most woven mulberry silk fabric would feel like a solid plain surface. It’s hard to feel each yarn line separately. The gentle touch of mulberry fibers feels like a piece of cloud is slipping through your skin. The feeling’s what we call silky smooth or buttery.
You won’t feel any loose or broken filaments from the yarns woven together. This is a reason why the fabric doesn’t feel rough. All these rich feelings when touching the fabric make it a symbol of luxury.
History of Mulberry Silk
The history of mulberry silk is considered the actual history of silk and it’s a journey to become the queen of luxury.
The Origin
There are debates on the exact date when the mulberry silk yarns were invented. However, some Chinese local tales say that it was discovered during the Leizu empire. Before 2600 BC (almost 5000 years ago), the empress was sitting under a tree enjoying her tea time. That time, a cocoon fell into her cup. But that didn’t bother her Highness. She was amazed by the cocoon fiber’s natural shimmer and ivory color.
So, she ordered the local artisans to collect such cocoons and create fabrics. By this, the journey started. In the beginning, the material was only for making clothes and crafts for royal families. The technique was a secret for several centuries.
Reveal of the Process
Then, ancient Japan became aware of crafting mulberry silk fabrics. They are the second country to make mulberry fabrics.
The proof is Momme. It is a unit to measure the quality of silk fabric just like thread count. Momme is a Japanese word. The unit is now an international method to judge silk fabrics. So, you can say that Japan contributed significantly to the production process.
Slowly, other neighboring countries started making this fabric.
The Birth of Silk Road
Soon after, the birth of the Silk Road made this fabric vastly known to nobles and fabric enthusiasts across the world. Persia, Iraq, and other Asian countries also started making fabrics using mulberry yarns.
But the pioneer of mulberry silk fabric is Italy. Most probably in the 13th century, they adapted the special sericulture of Bombyx mori moth. They defined this fabric as the best among all silk fabrics. Soon after the 15th century, France also became a top contender in making different clothing items.
Recognition as the Queen of Luxury
In the 18th century, after the Renaissance, different types of mulberry silk fabrics were in high demand. People considered them top-tier exclusive items.
Now, the production is worldwide. Yet, the demand for Chinese mulberry yarns and European Mulberry clothes still remains on top.
Why is Mulberry Silk a Luxury?
Pure silk fabrics like chiffon, georgette, taffeta, etc. are always luxury items. But mulberry silk is luxurious among luxury. Even a Grade 3A or 2A can cost twice as a regular “D grade” silk.
Specific Sourcing
But why is this fabric so expensive and popular? You need to domesticate a specific type of moth known as Bombyx mori. You can’t perform the sericulture for mulberry production with wild silkworms like Bombyx mandarina.
Rarity
Even in this modern age, escalating the mulberry silk production is impossible. To produce 1 pound of silk fabric, factories must collect more than 2500 Bombyx mori cocoons. Some companies even follow the peace silk theory where you won’t kill the worms inside the cocoons. Instead, wait for them to leave the cocoons.
Uniqueness
Apart from that, It’s impossible to make other silk fabrics durable and soft like mulberry silk. This obviously makes the main difference. People will normally go for mulberry silk fabrics rather than buying regular silks if they can afford those.
Skincare Benefits
Mulberry silk helps to nourish your skin and hair. Mulberry yarns don’t soak moisture from skin cells. Mulberry silk and cotton muslin are two fabrics that come with optimal skincare benefits.
It’s impossible to reach the level of this fabric no matter how much you modify or customize normal silk yarns. Till now, no silk variant is so uniform like mulberry. That’s why it remains an exclusive fabric even at this date.
Mulberry Silk Vs Silks
A person who touched and felt mulberry silk would easily tell the key factors. We are showing you basic “on-point” comparisons below.
Fiber
Mulberry yarns are more uniform than any other silk yarns. They are long, thin, elastic, and smooth. But other silk fibers aren’t always long. They are short and irregular. The longevity of normal silk strands isn’t guaranteed.
Softness
In terms of softness and smoothness, mulberry silk holds the top spot. Mulberry silk fabric comes with almost zero friction. It is as soft as high-quality down.
However, the softness of regular silk depends on the weaving, post-weaving treatments, types of fiber, etc. No matter how good the fibers are, they won’t reach the level of mulberry fabrics.
Color
This is the biggest difference. The natural color of mulberry is white. If you see mulberry items in different colors, that means they were dyed.
On the other hand, usual silk fibers can have different color shades.
Smell
Mulberry is an odorless fabric. Other silk fabrics can have smells or fragrances.
Apart from those, there are some other differences that we will point out while discussing the properties of this luxury fabric.
Note: We’ve only talked about the basic differences here.
How is Mulberry Silk Fabric Made?
“Mulberry silk contributes to around 90 percent of the world silk production.” – InSerCo
You can make various types of fabrics using mulberry yarns. Some factories have their own special method of weaving mulberry silk. However, the sericulture process to collect raw silk fibers remains the same everywhere.
Domestication
The eggs of Bombyx mori moth are left on mulberry trees or leaves. After turning into larvae, the worms consume a large amount of mulberry leaves to form a new body.
Cocoon Collection
Within a month or so, the larvae create cocoons around their body. Now, there are two ways to collect the cocoon.
You can wait for the pupa to grow and leave the cocoon behind. Or, you can collect the cocoons after forming perfectly and put them in boilers.
The first method is globally recognized as the process of making peace silk. Producing peace silk takes time as you need to wait for the worms to leave cocoons for you.
Degumming Fibers
After collecting the cocoons, factories put them inside boilers or other machines to dissolve proteins that make the fibers stick together.
After degumming, you’ll find very thin and long filaments. Several filaments will make a thread of pure mulberry silk.
Twisting
When you retrieve the filaments, the next major step is to make yarns. In the machine, several filaments are twisted together to make a single thread. The number of filaments in each thread also determines the thickness, weight, or density of the fabric.
Weaving
All that is left is now weaving the fabric. These fabrics can be made using both handlooms and automated machines. Hand-woven mulberry silk fabrics are most expensive textiles.
Note
- Factories don’t always dye this silk. It’s not a mandatory part of the production.
- There’s no special treatment for the fibers. The natural features are key aspects of this textile.
Grades of Mulberry Silk
There are 11 grades of silk. Silk yarns are graded A, B, C, D, E, or F depending on the fiber quality. Grade A has 6 subcategories; 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, and 1A.
But luxury mulberry silks are often graded between A to C as the quality of mulberry yarns is always better than Tussah or Muga. You can find mulberry below grade C. But they aren’t something you can name luxury.
Grade A
6A is the highest grade of mulberry silk. 6A fabrics are naturally soft with a lustrous sheen. They are the most expensive silk fabrics.
A-Graded silk fabrics come with bright ivory color. Here, the fibers are long and uniform. They are thin yet durable. This type is used for making high-profile and designer garments.
Grade B
Grade B is nearly as good as A. But the sheen is slightly dull. This grade is widely used in fashion industries too.
Grade C
But Grade C is mostly famous for comfortable bedding items. C-grade almost feels like Pima or Supima cotton.
Other Grades
D, E, and F are premium rather than luxury in terms of features. They can be rough sometimes. Yet, they are hypoallergic. So, mulberry silk is good even if the grade is low.
Key Characteristics of Mulberry Silk
Now, we’re focusing on the nature of a pure mulberry silk fabric. We were able to collect a few yards of different mulberry cloths. By judging them, we discovered these facts.
Construction
While buying samples, we made sure the sheets were “upper-grades”. We realized most of them had plain weave constructions. A few had satin weave construction. We could differentiate the satin weave by comparing both sides of a fabric.
Finish
The finish in any random mulberry fabric seems bright or luminous. Other types of silk have an inconsistent iridescent look. But the fabrics we have, look consistent and balanced.
However, the base color of a mulberry silk fabric can change depending on the light conditions. Still, the fabric looks lustrous by every means.
Texture
The texture is so smooth that even your broken hair won’t get stuck with the fibers. The fibers in the yarns are durable. They don’t break while twisting and weaving. That’s why they feel so smooth.
Mulberry clothes have almost zero friction. Lower density ( below 18 momme) sheets also feel smoother than other rich textiles.
If not used with any special treatment, mulberry silk remains plain. It’s very hard to feel the woven yarns separately.
Softness
Imagine the softest thing you’ve ever touched. We bet pure mulberry silk can be as soft as that object.
Till now, we’ve tested many luxury and premium fabrics. We also tried different types of tops and shirts. None of them were so soft like mulberry clothes. The only exception was pure muslin. It had a different kind of softness and comfort.
Comfort
The fabric is comfortable both as a clothing item and a bedding item. Due to its smoothness and softness, this textile feels soothing on any type of skin.
Commonly, mulberry items are lightweight. So, mulberry silk clothes don’t become a burden to your body. Wearing a mulberry dress is comfortable in all seasons.
Natural Values
According to Science Direct, “Two main protein types are the essential constituents of natural silk obtained from B. mori, namely fibroin (65–85 %) and sericin (SER, 15–35 %)”. It is proven that mulberry silks have more than 20 proteins and amino acids.
Besides, Harvard University published a paper saying that mulberry silk can protect your skin from UV rays. The fibers also have anti-aging properties. They keep your skin and hair moist and fresh.
Yarn Quality
Earlier, we told you the fibers of this silk are long and uniform. So, the yarns made of these fibers are quite sustainable. None of the yarns have broken or frayed fiber. The samples we had didn’t show any kind of damaged yarn after several rough uses.
Breathability
Mulberry silk is a breathable luxury textile. However, the breathability depends on the yarn density and thickness. On average, this luxury fabric is more breathable than all types of cotton fabric.
Heat Insulation
This fabric regulates heat rather than insulating. So, you stay cozy and dry most of the year using this textile.
Most importantly, the construction only helps to keep up your body temperature. The reason is the breathability. It doesn’t cool or warm your body like many fake sellers advertise.
Stretch
Mulberry silk fabric is slightly stretchy. But the range of stretch is below 1% most of the time. It can be because of the natural elements in the fibers that make the fabric slightly stretchy.
Moisture Absorption
Mulberry fibers can absorb moisture twice as fast as well-known textiles like Poplin and Oxford. But the fabric won’t suck off your skin moisture like other synthetic and cheap fabrics. So, your skin cells stay good using mulberry silk.
Transparency
It can be both sheer and not transparent. The fact actually depends on the production process.
Thickness
The same goes for the thickness. If thicker yarns are used, the fabric will become thick and dense.
Shrinkage
Mulberry silk doesn’t shrink. Unless you washed or dried your clothes in the wrong way. If you can take care of the fabric properly, it might last for a decade without losing the glow.
Smell
A big unique selling point of this luxury item is its smell-free. The odorless nature makes it different from all types of silk fabric you’d find.
Durability
It’s hard to find a clothing luxury fabric like this one that can offer both durability and a lustrous appearance. Long natural fibers contain vital proteins and amino acids that hold together the whole construction.
Besides, yarns won’t wrinkle, bobble, or fray so easily. Any type of mulberry fabric can retain its natural shape and features quite well.
Color Retention
It’s obvious that the natural sheen and white color of mulberry silk is beyond any fabric texture or design. Despite so, the yarns are capable of holding different types of dyes and prints precisely. You can find printed mulberry by the yard easily in the market.
Maintenance
Taking care of luxury fabrics isn’t a tough job. But you should be careful while washing or cleaning expensive fabrics. We’ll talk about the care guide later in this article.
7 Amazing Benefits of Using Mulberry Silk Fabric
Even after talking so much about the Queen of Luxury fabrics, you can ask why you should buy it. Because it won’t come cheap.
So, let’s talk about the main benefits you’d get from using mulberry silk.
- Mulberry silk can make cozy dress items. No matter what type of tops or skirts you like, the material will make the things you prefer most.
- The yarns don’t let dust mites or allergens stay in the fabric. So, it’s safe to use the fabric on sensitive skin.
- Anyone can understand the difference between the mulberry dress you wear and other silks. So, the fabric creates a statement of wealth.
- It is medically proven that mulberry silk clothes come in handy in treating hair fall and rough skin.
- The bedding items made of this fabric work great even for hot sleepers.
- Mulberry silk isn’t as delicate as other rich fabrics. It lasts long. You can use a luxury mulberry dress frequently.
- You can use plain mulberry silk fabrics for various purposes including clothing, home decor, bedding, window treatment, etc.
Uses of Mulberry Silk in Different Aspects
Mulberry silk fabric is a versatile luxury textile. We’ve already told you some common uses earlier. Now, it’s time to specify the uses.
Luxury Fashion
It is the most used fabric in the luxury and designer fashion industries. Although there are so many expensive and gorgeous materials invented in this century. Mulberry fabric remains at the peak to make evening and part wear.
Indoor Wear
Mulberry silk can give your body the comfort it demands while relaxing in your bedroom with a cup of coffee. Gowns made of this material are soft and lightweight and your muscles will quickly get rid of stress.
Lingerie
The hypoallergenic properties make it an ideal textile to make undergarments and lingerie. Delicate skins on the bikini parts remain cozy and dry wearing pure mulberry lingerie. Besides, the glamour of this fabric can play a good part in intimate moments.
Home Decor
Apart from being a good clothing fabric, mulberry silk can make luxurious curtains, table runners, sofa covers, etc. Creating the interior with mulberry silk can enlighten your taste in front of visitors.
Bedding
Using mulberry silk pillowcases and duvet covers is the healthiest option. Most of them are certified to be safe and chemical-free.
Accessories
Scarves, hijabs, scrunchies, etc. made of mulberry silk are not only good-looking but also good for nourishing hair.
Mulberry Silk Fabric Care Guide
Mulberry silk is the material of several luxury fabrics like georgette, chiffon, taffeta, crepe de chinos, etc. Each one has its own specific care guide.
We already talked about several luxury silk fabrics on our website. You can visit the luxury section to learn about those fabrics and their care guide.
Mulberry Silk By the Yard
The price of grade 6A starts from 35-40$ for each yard. But it can also cross 100$ depending on the momme, type of fabric, design, etc.
But if you order a bulk amount the price can be around 20$/yard. However, lower grades can come in a 10-15$ price range.
Best mulberry silk brand – Where yo buy?
- For plain mulberry silk by the yard: Sylvie Silk
- Medically proven bedding items: Casper
- For Bedding on the budget: Zima Silk
- For Women’s Gown: Crissy Wai Ching
FAQ
What is the difference between 100% silk and mulberry silk?
The main difference between mulberry silk and other pure silk fabrics is the source of fiber. Only the Bombyx mori moth, which lives on mulberry tree leaves, can create fibers for mulberry silk. Whereas other silks can have various sources.
What is the highest quality silk?
Grade 6A is the highest quality of silk. Only mulberry silk is the well-known 6A silk fabric. Some even say mulberry silk is 7A grade. But it’s not anything official.
Which country is the largest silk producer in the world?
China holds the first place in producing silk yarns and fabrics. China’s nearest competitors are India and Bangladesh. Apart from them, some European countries also produce silk fabrics for exclusive fashion.
Can you wash mulberry silk?
Obviously, you can wash mulberry silk. We’ve told earlier that you can wash mulberry silk in lukewarm water by hand. But you need to clean the expansive fabric slowly.
How do you determine the quality of mulberry silk bedding?
The quality of mulberry silk fabric is determined by density and yarn grade. Higher numbers of density and grade show better types of mulberry silk fabric.
Can you be allergic to mulberry silk?
People can be allergic to silk fabric. But not specifically to mulberry silk fabric. Remember, mulberry silk is the last thing you might be allergic to.
Summary
At this point, we’ve covered everything about mulberry silk fabrics. We told you why this luxury fabric is so different from other expensive fabrics. And how the fabric is worth buying. We hope you’ll be able to find the authentic ones. Check the best deals in Amazon & etsy.
Rest aside, do you know there’s another luxury fabric named Vicuna more expensive than mulberry? Click Here To learn more about this Vicuna fabric.
Shariful Alam Pavel, A fashion lover, passionate marketer. Love to share wisdom based on real life experience to enrich knowledge.
Founder of Muslin Dhaka, a brand, speaks the truth about royal muslin and fashion. Explore the digital fashion universe with organic cotton muslin and much more!
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