Hot take: I think the whole 'drape everything in silk' trend is overrated

Last spring I was at a local fabric swap in Portland and this one woman was going on and on about how silk is the only fabric worth using for evening wear. I told her I think linen and even some good cotton blends can look just as sharp with the right cut. She actually laughed at me and said I didn't understand 'true elegance.' But here's the thing, she was holding up this wrinkled silk blouse that cost like $200 and I could see the threads already pulling at the seams. Meanwhile I'd just finished making a dress out of a midweight cotton sateen that held its shape all night without needing to be dry cleaned. Has anyone else had someone act like you're crazy for preferring tougher fabrics over fancy ones?

3 comments

3 Comments

seanjackson11d ago

Taylor12 is right about linen being underrated. One thing though, silk doesn't always need dry cleaning. Some silk is actually machine washable on gentle if you check the care tag. Most people don't know that and treat all silk like it's going to disintegrate if it gets wet. That said, I still prefer a good cotton sateen for most evening stuff too. It has a nice sheen and handles the wash way better without going threadbare after a few wears.

taylor1211d ago

Linen heads rise up lol. I get why people love silk for that drapey elegant look but honestly give me a structured cotton or linen blend any day. Silk can be so fragile and finicky it's not worth the hassle most of the time.

josepha3211d ago

...and that's the thing, right? Like, people get so caught up in the label or the price tag that they forget the fabric has to actually work for you. I was at a swap meet last fall and saw this guy bragging about his vintage silk scarf collection, but he was literally sweating through his shirt trying to keep them from touching anything. Meanwhile I was rocking a linen jacket I got for $8 that had these cool natural wrinkles from being folded in a bag all day. He kept trying to explain how silk "breathes" better, but I was way more comfortable than he looked. The whole convo about fabric snobs is funny to me because at the end of the day, if you look good and feel good, who cares what thread count your shirt is?