What Is Satin?

How is satin made?

Satin is made by weaving yarns in the satin weave, a structure in which each yarn floats over several yarns of the other set before passing under one, so the interlacings are few and widely spaced. CAMEO, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s materials database, describes floats that cross 3 to 12 threads before each interlacing. Britannica says a true satin needs at least five warp and five weft yarns in each repeat of the weave, and therefore a loom with at least five harnesses.

The floats make the sheen. Most satins are woven from smooth, lightly twisted yarns, which, in Britannica’s words, “heighten the effect of light” because no visible crosswise bindings break the surface. Satin drafts look superficially like those of twill, but they lack twill’s regular step from one weft to the next, so a satin face shows no strong diagonal line. In classic satin it is the warp yarns that float, giving what Britannica calls “an unbroken surface made up of long floating warp yarns”.

What fibres is satin woven from?

Satin was originally a silk fabric, and CAMEO records that it was first made in China from silk. Britannica notes that it is now woven from other fibres as well. CAMEO names acetate and rayon for satin fabrics, and lists silk, polyester and nylon as common fibres for the weave. The fibre sets warmth, breathability, washability and price; the weave sets the look.

Which cloths are related to satin?

Several named cloths use the satin weave. Britannica lists sateen and damask among its variations. It describes sateen as a weft-faced satin, whereas the face of a classic satin is formed by long floating warp yarns. Britannica also uses the name for an all-cotton fabric woven in satin structure. Classic damask, in Britannica’s account, sets figures in warp-faced satin against a weft-faced satin ground, so the pattern shows through the way each area reflects light. CAMEO names Venetian cloth and messaline as further satin-weave fabrics, and charmeuse has its own entry.

What are the properties of satin?

Satin’s defining properties are a smooth surface, usually a lustrous face with a dull back, good drape and a tendency to snag. Lustre, drape and snagging come from the weave; warmth and breathability depend on the fibre.

• Lustre. The long floats reflect light, which CAMEO gives as the source of the sheen. CAMEO also describes the back as dull.
• Drape. CAMEO describes the weave as producing a flexible fabric that drapes well.
• Body in heavy qualities. Because there are few interlacings, the weave can carry a proportionately large number of warp yarns. Britannica says this gives a heavy cloth that can be arranged in smooth, shadowed folds.
• Snagging and abrasion. Britannica notes that long floats are susceptible to wear from rubbing and snagging, which is why satins are generally regarded as luxury fabrics. CAMEO also says the weave snags easily.
• Warmth and breathability. These depend on the fibre, so a silk satin and a polyester satin behave differently against the skin.

Where is satin used?

Satin is used for clothing and furnishings. Britannica lists dresses, particularly evening wear, linings, bedspreads and upholstery. CAMEO adds lingerie, neckties, blouses and evening gowns.

How is satin graded or measured?

Satin has no single grade; it is judged on three measurable points: the weave, the fibre content and the weight.

• Weave repeat. Britannica sets the minimum for a true satin at five warp and five weft yarns per repeat. Floats, per CAMEO, cross 3 to 12 threads.
• Fibre content. The percentages on the label tell you what the cloth is made of. “Satin” alone tells you nothing about the fibre.
• Weight. Britannica says satin is made in many weights. CAMEO gives duchesse as the name for heavy satin.

How does satin appear on a clothing label?

On a clothing label, “satin” can only describe the cloth; the fibre content line must name the fibres themselves, with their percentages.

United States

Under the US Textile and Wool Acts, as the Federal Trade Commission explains them, a label lists each fibre by its generic name and percentage by weight, in descending order. It also gives the country of origin for imported products and the name or registered identification number (RN) of the company responsible. Fibres under 5% are generally shown as “other fiber” or “other fibers”, unless the fibre has a definite functional significance at that amount. Wool is the exception: it must be named with its percentage even below 5%. Acetate and polyester appear on the FTC’s list of generic names.

The FTC allows a 3% tolerance on fibre-content figures, but not when a label names a single fibre. Its own example: a blouse that is 97% silk and 3% polyester cannot be labelled “100% silk”. Linings, satin ones included, follow a separate rule. If a lining is used only for structure, its fibre need not be disclosed; if it is there for warmth, it must be, as a sectional disclosure such as “Shell: 100% Nylon, Lining: 100% Polyester”.

European Union

In the EU, Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 allows only the fibre names in its Annex I on labels. “Silk” is reserved for fibre obtained exclusively from silk-secreting insects. Article 5 bars those names from being used for other fibres, even as a root or adjective, and states that “silk” may not be used to indicate the shape or presentation of other fibres’ continuous filament yarn. The Annex I names you will meet on satins include acetate, viscose, polyester and “polyamide or nylon”. A product labelled “100%”, “pure” or “all” may still contain up to 2% extraneous fibres by weight, if they are technically unavoidable and not added as a matter of routine (Article 7(2)).

How do you tell good satin from poor satin?

Good satin shows an even, unbroken sheen on the face, a duller back, no diagonal line and no pulled floats, and its label names the fibres precisely. Check these in order:

1. Read the fibre line first. The percentages tell you what you are paying for. A cloth sold as silk satin should say silk on the label; in the EU, the word “silk” cannot stand for a polyester or other filament yarn.
2. Tilt it under a light. On a true satin, light runs across the face without a diagonal. If you see a clear diagonal rib, you are looking at a twill, which Britannica distinguishes from satin by its regular step.
3. Turn it over. The face should be smooth and lustrous and the back dull, the arrangement both Britannica and CAMEO describe.
4. Inspect the friction points. Look under the arms, at the side seams and where a bag strap would rub. Loops of yarn pulled out of the surface show the snagging that Britannica links to satin’s long floats; on a new garment they are a red flag.
5. Let a fold fall. A heavy satin, densely set with warp yarns, should settle in smooth, shadowed folds, as Britannica describes.
6. Check the lining’s label. In the US a structural lining need not show its fibre, so a satin lining may carry no fibre information at all.

How do you care for satin?

Care for satin according to its fibre and the garment’s care label, because the fibre, not the weave, sets the limits for washing and ironing. The weave adds one rule of its own: protect the floats. Britannica notes that long floats wear from rubbing and snagging, so keep satin away from rough surfaces, hook-and-loop fasteners and jewellery with prongs, and store it where nothing will catch the face.

Is satin sustainable?

Satin’s environmental footprint follows its fibre, because satin is a weave rather than a material. The label tells you whether a satin is silk, a cellulose-based fibre such as acetate or viscose, or a synthetic such as polyester or nylon, and its impacts are those of that fibre. Where a polyester satin is described as recycled, the recycled polyester entry explains what that claim covers. The weave matters for lifespan: Britannica notes that satin’s long floats are vulnerable to rubbing, which is worth weighing for pieces that will be worn hard.