Silky vs Silk: A Shopper's Glossary of the Words That Mislead

The first "artificial silk" went on show in Paris in 1889. It was made from nitrocellulose and burned so readily that textile workers nicknamed it mother-in-law silk.

The fires stopped once safer recipes came along. The borrowing didn't. Silk's name has been out on loan to other fibers for well over a century, and the words it picked up along the way now crowd every bedding page and bonnet listing in the US.

This is a glossary of those words. For the full routine of reading a listing, see how to buy real silk online. For checks you can run at home with the fabric in your hand, see how to tell if silk is real. Here we only want the vocabulary: what each word tells you, and what it leaves out.

What's the difference between silky and silk?

Silk is a fiber, and silky is a description of how something feels. Silk is the protein filament a silkworm spins for its cocoon. Silky works the way velvety or glassy works: it reports on a surface and says nothing about what's underneath. A silky pillowcase could be polyester, nylon, rayon or a blend of them.

The word does no harm when the fiber travels with it. "Silky polyester" tells you two true things. The problem comes when the adjective goes out alone.

US rules do take an interest. Federal textile regulations bar words, coined words and pictures that imply a fiber that isn't in the product, including names that sound like the fiber or respell it slightly. Where "silky" on a polyester sheet falls under that rule is the FTC's call, and you'll see the word everywhere either way. Read it as a mood and keep looking.

Does satin mean silk?

No. Satin is a way of weaving, and it can be done in silk, polyester, nylon or rayon. The threads float across several others before they dip under, and those long, smooth runs on the surface are what catch the light. The shine comes from the weave, which is why polyester satin can pass for silk from across a store.

"Silk satin" and "satin silk" should name both things at once, fiber and weave, though sellers can be loose with them, so look for "100% silk" nearby. Charmeuse is a satin-weave cloth, glossy on the face and matte on the back (what is silk charmeuse? has more), and it comes in polyester too. Sateen is the cousin usually woven from cotton, with the floats running the other way.

Polyester satin isn't a bad fabric: it can feel smooth and it washes easily. You just want to know which one you're paying for.

What do silk touch, silk feel and silk-like mean?

They mean a fabric is being compared to silk, which is a claim about feel with no fiber in it. Silk-soft, silk-look and silk finish belong in the same drawer. A comparison can be perfectly honest. It's only incomplete if the page never gets around to saying what the thing is made of.

Watch, too, for silk in a supporting role. The FTC's guide for sellers uses the example of a cotton T-shirt advertised as a "Silk Trim T," whose label has to disclose the trim content. A little silk at the edges doesn't make the shirt a silk shirt.

What is art silk?

Art silk is short for artificial silk, the old name for rayon, and it contains no silk. Today the term is usually a synonym for rayon (also called viscose), though imitation silk can also be polyester, mercerized cotton or a blend.

The appeal was plain from the start: according to McGill University's Office for Science and Society, rayon sold for about half the price of raw silk. The American trade settled on the word "rayon" in 1924, but the short form never quite died, and you can still find it on sarees and rugs. Rayon is a respectable fiber with a good drape of its own. Only the word "silk" is doing anything misleading.

Is vegan silk real silk?

No. Silk comes from an insect, so "vegan silk" describes a replacement, and it doesn't say which one. You might get polyester satin, lyocell, cupro, or something spun from orange or banana plant waste. A few lab-made fibers modeled on spider silk use the name as well. Those are very different purchases under one label.

The required fiber label leaves less room. The FTC says natural and man-made fibers must appear under their generic names, and a new fiber name can't go on a label until the Commission recognizes it. So a listing title may say vegan silk while the label says polyester. Avoiding animal products is a fair line to draw (is silk cruelty-free, vegan and sustainable? takes that question head on). Reading the fiber line tells you what you're getting instead.

Is bamboo silk real silk?

No, and it usually isn't bamboo in the way you'd picture, either. The FTC's alert on the subject, titled with some relish "How to Avoid Bamboozling Your Customers," explains that most bamboo textiles are rayon: bamboo is the plant source, and none of the original plant remains in the finished fiber. The label should say "rayon" or "rayon made from bamboo." Only fabric made directly from bamboo fiber can be called bamboo.

So "bamboo silk" borrows twice. Eucalyptus silk is usually lyocell. Both can be soft and neither has met a silkworm, and silk vs bamboo and eucalyptus "silk" compares them.

What are ice silk and milk silk?

They're marketplace names for a feel. Textile suppliers use ice silk for cool-touch fabrics, often viscose, sometimes polyester or nylon blends. Milk silk usually turns up on soft knits that mills list as polyester and spandex, though some sellers describe a blend with milk protein fiber. You can't tell which from the name.

Which silk words do name real silk?

Mulberry silk and peace silk do, and several odd-sounding weave names usually come in silk. Mulberry silk comes from the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori. Peace silk is real silk from cocoons the moth has already left. Twill and crêpe de Chine are weaves, most often seen in silk on a scarf or a blouse, and momme is silk's unit of weight. None of them replaces the fiber line, but none is a warning either.

Silk that says so plainly: see LS Silk's 100% mulberry silk pillowcases →

Mother-in-law silk is long gone, retired in favor of recipes less likely to go up in flames. The habit of borrowing its name outlived it, and most of the borrowers mean no harm. A polyester sheet that calls itself silky is only telling you how it hopes to be thought of. The fiber line tells you what it is.

Frequently asked questions

Is silky fabric real silk?

Not necessarily. Silky describes how a fabric feels, and it's often used for polyester, nylon or rayon. Look for the fiber line on the listing or label, where real silk will say silk or 100% mulberry silk in plain words.

Is satin real silk?

Only if it's woven from silk. Satin is a weave with long, smooth threads on the surface, and much of the satin sold today is polyester. Polyester satin can feel smooth, but it's a different purchase from silk satin, so check the fiber line.

What is art silk made of?

Usually rayon, also called viscose. The term is short for artificial silk, the name rayon commonly went by in the US until 1924. Some imitation silk is polyester or mercerized cotton instead, so the fiber line is what settles it.

Is vegan silk real silk?

No. Silk is made by an insect, so vegan silk always means something else, and the name doesn't tell you what. It might be polyester, lyocell, cupro or a plant fiber. The fiber label should use the generic name of whatever it is.

Is bamboo silk real silk?

No. The FTC says most bamboo textiles are rayon, with bamboo as the plant source and none of the original plant left in the finished fiber. They should be labeled rayon or rayon made from bamboo, and they contain no silk.

Can a seller call polyester silky?

You'll see it often. US rules bar words that imply a fiber the product doesn't contain, and whether a given use of silky crosses that line is the FTC's call. Either way, keep reading until you find the fiber line, because that's what tells you what the fabric is.

Related reading: How to Buy Real Silk Online Without Being Fooled · Is Chiffon Silk? · What Is Mulberry Silk?