Ultimate Fabric Guide
Woven through time, silk is more than a fabric. It is heritage, craftsmanship, and a refined way of living.
This guide introduces the fibers, structures, heritage textiles, and natural fabrics featured in the CROSE collection. It is created for designers, makers, fabric buyers, and silk lovers who want to understand not only how a fabric looks, but how it is woven, how it feels, and how it lives on the body.
Organized around silk foundations, silk fabric types, Chinese heritage silks, silk blends, natural outerwear fabrics, and fabric weight references, this guide reflects the CROSE belief that fine textiles should carry both cultural depth and everyday beauty.
Silk Foundations
Silk begins with fiber, but its final character is shaped by weave, weight, finish, and touch. Understanding these foundations helps designers choose fabrics not only by appearance, but also by movement, structure, breathability, and purpose.
Silk Fiber Types
| Fiber | Character | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Mulberry Silk | Fine, smooth, lustrous silk from cultivated silkworms. It is the most widely used luxury silk fiber, loved for softness, brightness, and comfort against the skin. | Luxury garments, scarves, bridalwear, bedding, couture pieces. |
| Tussah Silk | Wild silk with a more organic texture, natural tone, and quieter sheen. It brings a relaxed, artisanal feeling to refined clothing. | Textured garments, natural-style designs, artisan textiles. |
| Spun Silk | Silk made from shorter silk fibers, often with a softer matte surface and a gentle cotton-like comfort. | Everyday silk garments, decorative textiles, soft casual pieces. |
| Raw Silk | Silk with visible natural irregularity and a firmer hand. It keeps more of the original tactile character of the fiber. | Structured garments, traditional textiles, craft-focused pieces. |
Core Weaving Structures
| Structure | Character | Typical Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Plain Weave | Simple, balanced interlacing with a stable surface. Depending on weight and yarn, it can feel light, crisp, soft, or breathable. | Habotai, cotton-silk blends, linings, shirts, summer garments. |
| Twill Weave | Recognizable diagonal structure with fluid body and refined movement. It often feels more substantial than plain weave. | Scarves, shirts, dresses, skirts, elegant separates. |
| Satin Weave | Smooth, lustrous surface created by long floating yarns. It gives silk its most luminous and sensual expression. | Charmeuse, satin, eveningwear, bridalwear, luxury dresses. |
| Crepe Weave | Textured surface created through high-twist yarns. It gives silk a softly grainy touch and elegant matte depth. | Crepe de Chine, georgette, dresses, blouses, refined daily wear. |
| Leno Weave | A true twisted-yarn openwork weave, where warp yarns cross and lock into place to create breathable structure. | Traditional luo silks, summer garments, airy heritage textiles. |
| Jacquard Weave | Patterns are woven into the fabric structure itself, creating depth, texture, and decorative complexity. | Brocades, heritage silks, luxury garments, decorative pieces. |
Silk Fabrics
This section covers the main silk fabrics used in fashion, bridalwear, bedding, and everyday luxury. Each fabric has its own balance of sheen, texture, drape, opacity, and structure.
| Fabric | Character | Suggested Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Silk Charmeuse / Silk Satin | Silk charmeuse is a type of silk satin, usually woven with a glossy satin face and a soft crepe back. It is fluid, elegant, luminous, and skin-friendly. | Dresses, blouses, eveningwear, bridal pieces, sleepwear, silk bedding. |
| Silk Crepe de Chine | Soft silk with a refined crepe texture, gentle matte surface, and excellent drape. It is elegant without looking overly formal. | Blouses, dresses, shirts, scarves, everyday luxury garments. |
| Silk Chiffon | Lightweight, sheer, airy silk with a delicate floating drape. It creates softness, movement, and transparency. | Layering, scarves, veils, evening dresses, romantic silhouettes. |
| Silk Georgette | Textured, softly grainy silk with elegant movement and a more matte surface than charmeuse. | Flowing dresses, blouses, skirts, occasionwear. |
| Silk Habotai | Light, smooth, plain-weave silk with a clean surface and soft touch. It is one of the most versatile lightweight silks. | Linings, lightweight shirts, scarves, summer garments. |
| Silk Organza | Sheer, crisp, lightweight silk with architectural transparency and sculptural potential. | Bridalwear, overlays, sleeves, couture details, structured accents. |
| Silk Taffeta | Crisp and structured silk with a subtle sheen. It holds shape beautifully and creates volume. | Skirts, gowns, statement sleeves, formalwear. |
| Silk Twill | Smooth silk with a diagonal weave, elegant hand, and soft structure. It often feels refined yet practical. | Scarves, shirts, dresses, printed garments. |
Note: In Western fabric terminology, “silk satin” often describes the broader satin-weave silk category, while “silk charmeuse” usually refers to a softer, more fluid silk satin with a glossy face and crepe back. CROSE uses both terms carefully according to structure, surface, and handfeel.
Chinese Heritage Silks
Chinese heritage silks carry textile memory. They are not only materials, but expressions of regional craft, plant dyeing, jacquard weaving, and long-standing silk culture. This is an essential part of the CROSE world.
| Fabric | Character | Suggested Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Gambiered Canton Silk / Mud Silk | Plant-dyed silk finished through repeated dyeing, sun-drying, and river-mud treatment. It is known for its dark reverse side, subtle sheen, dry touch, and naturally aged character. | Summer dresses, shirts, traditional jackets, refined everyday garments. |
| Hualuo Silk | A plain-weave silk designed to echo the visual texture of leno silk. It has a luo-inspired appearance, but it is not a true twisted leno weave. | Summer dresses, shirts, soft tailoring, elegant daily clothing. |
| Leno / Luo Silk | True openwork silk made with twisted warp yarns, creating breathable structure, subtle transparency, and traditional refinement. | Airy tops, summer garments, heritage-inspired pieces. |
| Song Brocade | Decorative woven silk brocade with historical Chinese pattern language, rich structure, and quiet cultural depth. | Statement garments, accessories, craft projects, collectible textiles. |
| Cloud Brocade | Highly decorative brocade with ornate patterning and ceremonial richness. It represents the more opulent side of Chinese silk craft. | Formalwear, luxury accents, cultural pieces, decorative works. |
Silk Blends & Specialty Textiles
Silk can be blended or structured with other fibers to create more body, texture, warmth, or everyday wearability. These fabrics bring silk into a wider design language, from refined tailoring to comfortable daily pieces.
| Fabric | Character | Suggested Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Stretch Silk Satin | Silk satin blended with a small amount of spandex for flexibility and ease of movement, while keeping a luminous silk surface. | Dresses, fitted garments, slips, occasionwear, bridal pieces. |
| Silk Cotton | Soft and breathable blend combining the smoothness of silk with the comfort and ease of cotton. | Everyday wear, summer shirts, soft dresses, casual luxury pieces. |
| Silk Linen | Natural blend with silk softness and linen texture. It feels breathable, relaxed, and quietly refined. | Summer dresses, shirts, trousers, minimalist garments. |
| Silk Wool Satin | A warmer silk-wool blend with gentle sheen, body, and refined structure. It feels polished without being overly glossy. | Dresses, suits, skirts, jackets, autumn and winter pieces. |
| Silk Wool Georgette | Heavy, opaque, softly matte silk-wool georgette with subtle grain and a softly structured hand. | Premium dresses, blouses, suits, jackets, coats, winter garments. |
| Silk Velvet | Luxurious pile textile with a silk base and soft viscose/rayon pile, offering rich depth and movement. | Eveningwear, jackets, dresses, special occasion pieces. |
Natural Fibers & Outerwear
While silk remains the heart of CROSE, natural non-silk fabrics extend the collection into outerwear, tailoring, and slow everyday dressing. Wool, cashmere, alpaca, ramie, linen, and plant-dyed cotton support a wardrobe built around texture, comfort, and longevity.
Wool, Cashmere & Alpaca
| Fabric | Character | Suggested Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Wool Cashmere | Warm, soft, and structured coating fabric with a luxurious hand and elegant tailoring performance. | Coats, capes, jackets, tailored outerwear. |
| Double-Face Wool Cashmere | Premium double-layer coating fabric, often suitable for hand-split seams and unlined luxury coats. | High-end coats, wrap coats, handmade outerwear. |
| Alpaca Blend | Soft, warm, slightly fluffy textile with natural volume, lightness, and cold-weather comfort. | Winter coats, oversized jackets, luxury cold-weather garments. |
Plant-Dyed Cotton, Ramie & Linen
| Textile | Character | Suggested Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Plant-Dyed Cotton | Comfortable, breathable, and softly textured with natural dye character and quiet tonal variation. | Everyday wear, shirts, casual dresses, slow-fashion pieces. |
| Plant-Dyed Ramie | Crisp, breathable bast fiber with natural texture and a cool hand, especially suitable for warm climates. | Summer tops, loose shirts, trousers, relaxed silhouettes. |
| Plant-Dyed Linen | Textured, breathable, and naturally elegant, with a relaxed surface that becomes softer through wear. | Summer garments, minimalist tailoring, relaxed everyday pieces. |
Fabric Weight Guide
Silk weight is commonly measured in momme. A lower momme usually means a lighter and more transparent fabric, while a higher momme gives more body, opacity, durability, and a richer luxury weight.
| Momme Range | General Feeling | Typical Fabrics & Uses |
|---|---|---|
| 5–8 mm | Very light, sheer, airy, and delicate, often used where movement and transparency are desired. | Chiffon, georgette, organza, scarves, overlays, layering. |
| 10–16 mm | Light to medium weight, breathable, comfortable, and suitable for refined daily wear. | Habotai, crepe de Chine, charmeuse, shirts, blouses, linings. |
| 19–22 mm | Medium weight with better opacity, richer drape, and a more substantial hand. | Dresses, slips, shirts, bridal pieces, refined everyday garments. |
| 30–40 mm | Heavy, opaque, rich, and luxurious, with more structure and durability. | Premium dresses, tailoring, luxury bedding, heavy charmeuse, heavy crepe. |
| 55 mm and above | Very heavy and substantial, often with strong body, opacity, and winter suitability. | Silk wool georgette, winter garments, jackets, coats, structured pieces. |
