I am wearing a 100% blue silk dress by Stefanel in a geometric print with jewel collar.
London has been hot like a pizza oven the last few weeks! We’ve been having the first prolonged heatwave since 2006, yay! To cool down in these 30plus degree temperatures, I rely on my 100% silk dresses – When I wear them, I feel like I’m naked: the flowing luxurious material doesn’t stick or pinches, I just feel light and free!
Silk is the Queen of fabrics, a high-class natural fibre produced by certain insects larvae to form cocoons. It’s fascinating to think of the production process of silk : The life cycle of silk worm encompasses four stages. The egg, the silk worm, the pupa and the moth. The silk worm, which feeds on mulberry leaves, forms a covering (cocoon of silk thread) around it by secreting a protein like substance through its head.In the factory, the silk is unwound from the cocoons and the strands are collected into skeins. You can watch a video here on how silk is made into fabric.
What attributes make the silk so special?
The typical sheen, the softness and the lightness. The composition of the human skin is similar to the natural silk fibre, meaning even allergic sufferers can wear this fabric without a problem. The long fibres don’t scratch, they are elastic and don’t crease easily. Silk is breathable and insulating: This means it cools in winter and warms in winter.
Silk feels wonderfully light and casual in the heat
How to care for silk:
Silk can be washed by hand or in the wool wash in the washing machine. Make sure to use special silk washing powder so as not to damage the fabric with protein, usually part of conventional washing powder. Dark silk can be water, light silk in luke-warm water. Gently stir the fabric, never, ever brush it or wring it. After washing, wrap the garment in a towel and dry flat (not in sunlight as it dries out the fabric). You can iron it while moist, inside out. Often it’s enough to air the garment and iron it with steam (from the bathroom for example). Silk is naturally dirt-repellent and doesn’t take on smells.
Almost creepy to think that my dress was once a silk caterpillar cocoon!