Cultivated silk from the Bombyx mori silkworm, which is and always has been the most common type of silk used, has a number of interesting and desirable properties that have been admired for over 5,000 years.

First, silk adapts well to dyes, both natural and synthetic, resulting in colorful fabrics. Another property of silk is that it is soft to the touch, and it retains its shape well, even after being stretched. In appearance, silk has a shine and luminosity that makes it look luxurious. Since silk production is labor intensive and expensive, it has often been used by royalty and wealthy individuals for centuries, and indeed has sometimes become a symbol of wealth and achievement. In England, for example, when a lawyer achieves a certain status and earns the honor of being a QC (for the Queen’s Council), he or she is said to “take the silk.” From then on, they will wear a silk gown during court proceedings. In fact, pure English silk silk gowns are normally worn at royal weddings in England, and this is a tradition that has been carried on for centuries. There are still small silk manufacturing operations located there in modern times.

Silk has the property of being a very flexible material. For example, a silk scarf can easily be threaded through a wedding ring and will quickly spring back to its original shape without much wrinkling. It is lightweight and can be easily folded. Silk scarves are great for women on the go as a lady can change her appearance by changing her scarves and can get away with wearing fewer clothes than she would normally wear at home. Also, silk tends to sag naturally and hangs delicately when worn as clothing. This gives it an appeal over other fabrics that are tougher and stiffer. Additionally, silk maintains its structural integrity and does not rot. Silk is also more resistant to heat than many other fabrics, including wool, for example, and is actually quite difficult to burn.

A notable property of silk is its high tensile strength and its fibers will not easily break or damage. It is also an elastic material that can be stretched and will then return to its original size unless it is stretched more than 20-25% of its original length. It has been used in the past in the manufacture of guy ropes to take advantage of this feature.

Silk clothing keeps you cool in the summer and provides surprising warmth in the winter and is often used as an insulating layer in different types of clothing or even in sleeping bags. Silk can absorb a fairly significant amount of moisture before it feels wet.

Silk can be woven together with other fabrics in blends, and is most often used in garments such as dresses, pants, sweaters, gowns, and shirts, for example. Silk ties for men have an exceptional look and feel and are preferred and worn almost exclusively by many men.

For all these reasons, silk has been desired for centuries. The secrets of their production were hermetically guarded in China for over 2,000 years, but eventually the knowledge and raw materials (silkworms and mulberry trees) were found in other parts of the world, and many countries had significant numbers of people employed in the production. of silk items. China is today the world leader in silk production, just as it was several thousand years ago. China produces more than half of the world’s silk and India accounts for about a quarter of Chinese production. India is, however, the leader in the production of wild silks, that is, silk spun from silkworm species other than B. mori that live in the wild, such as the tussah silk moth. The silk production of these wild silkworms is much less predictable and much more difficult to control, since these insects cannot be domesticated like B. mori. In addition, tussah silk is said to be somewhat coarser than B. mori silk. Despite the advent of less expensive synthetic fabrics such as rayon and nylon, silk’s properties and characteristics account for its continued significant demand.