About Silk
About silk.
Silk is one of the oldest luxury fibers in the world — a continuous protein filament produced by silkworms. Understanding what makes silk exceptional, and what it contributes in a cashmere-silk blend, is the foundation for understanding why certain Quinn pieces behave differently from others.
The filament
fiber.
Silk is produced by silkworms (Bombyx mori) as they spin their cocoons. Each cocoon is a single continuous filament up to 1,500 meters long — the only natural textile fiber that exists as a continuous thread rather than a short staple that must be spun into yarn. This structural difference is what gives silk its distinctive smoothness and sheen: there are no fiber ends to create a rough surface or catch light diffusely.
The sericulture process — raising silkworms, harvesting cocoons, and reeling the filament — is labor-intensive. Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves, produce a single cocoon over several days, and the cocoons are steamed to kill the pupae before the filament is damaged. Multiple filaments are reeled together to create silk thread of usable weight.
China produces approximately 80% of the world's raw silk. The same Inner Mongolia region that produces Quinn's cashmere fiber is adjacent to major Chinese silk-producing areas — which means our blended pieces draw on materials from the same sourcing geography.
How silk quality
is measured.
Unlike cashmere (measured in microns and fiber length) or wool (measured in microns), silk quality is measured in momme (mm) — a traditional Japanese weight measurement. Momme is the weight in pounds of a piece of silk 45 inches wide and 100 yards long. Higher momme means denser, heavier, more durable silk.
| Momme range | Character | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 6–8mm | Very lightweight, semi-sheer | Linings, scarves, lightweight blouses |
| 12–16mm | Standard weight, good drape | Blouses, scarves, blend yarns |
| 19–25mm | Substantial, excellent drape, durable | Quality garments, bedding, formal wear |
| 30mm+ | Heavy, very durable, richest sheen | Premium bedding, special occasion garments |
For cashmere-silk blends in knitwear, the silk is introduced as silk yarn rather than woven fabric — the fiber characteristics (sheen, smoothness, drape) carry through into the blend even at lower silk percentages.
What silk does to
cashmere.
A cashmere-silk blend doesn't simply average the properties of the two fibers — each contributes specific characteristics that the other alone couldn't achieve. Understanding what silk adds (and what it trades away) helps you choose the right Quinn piece for how you'll actually wear it.
Silk filament has natural fluidity — it falls differently from staple fiber yarn. A cashmere-silk blend sweater or scarf moves more fluidly than a pure cashmere equivalent at the same weight. The difference is most apparent in how the piece hangs on the body and how it falls when set down.
The triangular cross-section of silk filament reflects light differently from the round cross-section of cashmere fiber. Even a 20% silk component introduces a subtle luminosity that catches light at certain angles. This is what distinguishes a cashmere-silk piece from pure cashmere in the same colorway — the surface has more depth.
Silk is a protein fiber but doesn't trap air the way cashmere's crimped structure does. Adding silk to cashmere reduces the thermal insulation — which is a feature, not a bug, for pieces worn in transitional weather or layered over other garments. A cashmere-silk piece is genuinely lighter and cooler than an equivalent pure cashmere piece.
Silk filament can break at stress points, particularly at seams and fold lines. A cashmere-silk blend may be slightly more prone to surface disturbance in high-friction areas than pure Grade A cashmere. The difference is minor, but worth noting for pieces that will see heavy daily wear.
Straightforwardly, adding silk reduces warmth at equivalent weight. This is intentional for transitional and layering pieces — but a cashmere-silk blend is not the choice if maximum warmth is the goal. For cold-weather warmth, pure cashmere performs better.
Both cashmere and silk are protein fibers that share basic care requirements: cool water, gentle detergent, no wringing, lay flat to dry. A cashmere-silk blend doesn't require any different care protocol than pure cashmere — the approach is the same.