Silk Myths - Are they True?

Silk is a product founded way before modern civilization. With these much of years under its belt, various misconceptions and myths have spread. Today, here are some Silk myths and how they are debunked.

                Silk is slippery - Thanks to its sheen, Silk comes off as watery or wet and its softness gives it a lower friction than most other fabrics. The truth is quite obvious which is that Silk is a dry fabric and you shouldn’t be expecting to be soaking after wearing Silk for a long time. Silk is also very good at temperature regulation which means sweaty nights are a thing of the past.

                Silk will stick to your skin – This is pretty far off from the truth. Silk is very soft and flowy. It doesn’t strip your skin of the essential oils it needs. This helps your skin continue to be hydrated throughout the night.

                Silk is a modern/ synthetic material – Silk was discovered in ancient China and has been harnessed and used ever since. The infamous ancient trade route called the Silk Road was even named from Silk because it is one of the most popular wares being sold in this region. This popularity of Silk allowed it to be spread through most of the world when the industrial revolution came. Silk has a five thousand years’ worth of backing to prove it is nowhere near a modern material.

                Silk being synthetic is pretty farfetched. Silk is made by the Silk Moth which is a species of Moth originally from China which specializes in making cocoons with huge amounts of Silk. They produce Silk in order to help them in their day to day activities. Footholds, protection, and transportation are only some of the uses Silk has on their daily lives.

                Mulberry Silk is rare, expensive, and the best silk you can buy – First off, when it comes to Silk, Mulberry Silk is just a fancy term for the common Silk fabric. This designation of “Mulberry Silk” comes from the Mulberry that the Silkworms ate in order to make their Silk. Fun fact, the domesticated Silk moth only eats Mulberry. They have been co evolving with each other for thousands of years which resulted in the two species evolving certain adaptions that only work with each other. Therefore, don’t be fooled by this fanciful marketing strategy, Mulberry Silk shouldn’t cost more than the same grade Silk fabric with a different name. Pretty much “A rose with any other name would still smell as sweet” vibe when it comes to this myth.

                Misinformation and myths are a normal antithesis to a thousand-year-old item. Flaws are bound to show up in the retelling of stories which are only just a couple of years old, imagine what would happen if this was ramped up to thousands of years. Which is why debunking this said myths is integral to maintain the truth we currently have.