Getting Along Well with Silk—Home Care and Careful Use for Each Item

Silk, a Dream Material

Silk is known as a luxurious and precious material.
While it has a somewhat difficult-to-handle image,
beyond the typical silk scarf, there are also easy-to-incorporate items
like ties and accessories.

How should you care for silk ties and scarves?
If they can be washed, what kind of laundry detergent should you choose?
Even though we simply call it "silk," this delicate material comes with different points of caution depending on the item.
This time, we're taking a closer look at the material known as "silk,"
introducing its characteristics and the correct way to handle it.

What Are the Characteristics of Silk?

When you hear the word "silk," what image comes to mind?
If it's silk pajamas or a handkerchief, you might imagine it as difficult to handle.
And as the ancient trade route between East and West came to be called the Silk Road,
silk is also known as a material that has been treasured since ancient times.

Counted among the four great natural fibers (silk, hemp, cotton, and wool),
silk has long been prized as "the most beautiful fiber."
Thread (called raw silk thread) is spun from silkworm cocoons,
and the thread taken from a single cocoon can be over 1 km long.
Furthermore, among natural fibers it is extremely fine—the thickness of raw silk thread is said to be about 1/30th that of a human hair.
The secret to silk's luster lies in the structure of its thread.
The fibers of raw silk thread have a triangular shape,
and this shape reflects and diffuses incoming light like a prism,
producing a distinctive luster not seen in other natural fibers.

Here are the characteristics of silk fabric.

(Advantages)
・The smoothness and luster unique to silk
・Being a natural fiber, it doesn't easily generate static electricity
・It doesn't become overly humid and maintains a comfortable temperature

(Disadvantages)
・Prone to staining
・Weak against acids and alkalis
・Prone to shrinking when wet
・Susceptible to insect damage

Another characteristic worth noting is that silk "easily absorbs ultraviolet rays."
Wrapping silk around your neck can serve as one benefit for UV protection.
However, since silk itself has the property of yellowing when it absorbs UV rays,
please be careful, as prolonged exposure to direct sunlight may spoil its texture.

Among the fabric care products introduced on ZUTTO,
"THE LAUNDRESS" Delicate Wash
is well suited for washing delicate materials, including silk.

Here are the points to keep in mind when washing silk in water:

▼Things to Follow

・Wash in water at 30°C or below (do not use warm water)
・Follow the garment's care label and hand wash, or use the delicate cycle on a washing machine
・Place the item in a laundry wash bag
・For clothing, turn it inside out

▼Precautions

・Do not wring or twist the fabric
・Do not use warm water, a dryer, or bleach
・When drying, avoid direct sunlight and dry the item flat, or hang it up to dry
・After care, when storing for a long period, be sure to use a non-woven case or a storage bag made specifically for silk
(If sealed in a plastic bag or plastic case, moisture cannot be regulated, which can easily lead to mold.)

Now, let's take a look at silk items and how to handle each one.
When you think of silk, scarves probably come to mind first,
but there are many other types of items as well.

A Boldly Patterned Scarf

Let's start with a scarf brand that represents the very essence of silk.

the PORT is crafted by Maruka Co., Ltd., a textile printing (nassen) manufacturer rooted in Yokohama's local industry.
Just as Yokohama, a port town where countless people and goods have long come and gone,
once connected to the world and brought vibrant color to Japan,
the factory brand the PORT was launched with the wish to add color to everyday life
through prints that suit the present era.

Silk had been one of Japan's main export items since the opening of Yokohama Port in 1859.
At the time, demand for Japanese raw silk was high, and Japanese-made silk handkerchiefs drew attention at events such as the Yokohama Port Opening Exposition and the Melbourne Exposition.
As the raw silk market in Yokohama grew, the textile printing industry developed alongside it.
In the early Showa era, scarves gained popularity as a fashion item and became a specialty product of Yokohama.
Maruka is known as a long-established scarf manufacturer in Yokohama, and today it is the only company in Japan that handles everything in-house,
from planning and design to factory production and delivery, creating carefully crafted scarves using hand-printing techniques.

・Characteristics of the PORT

While Maruka also offers many chic lineups,
the PORT features many modern, playful designs.
While floral patterns and chain motifs are common for silk scarves,
the motifs that the PORT chooses to feature include things like
cake illustrations, geometric patterns that look like modern art,
and anchor silhouettes with a marine feel.
Thanks to the technical skill unique to a textile printing manufacturer,
every scarf features beautifully vivid colors that bring out the patterns to their fullest.

・For Making Your Silk Scarf Last Longer

After wearing a scarf all day, hang it on a hanger or the back of a chair
in a place out of direct light.
(Prolonged exposure to light may cause deterioration or discoloration.)
There's no need to clean it after every single use.
If stains are severe, please have the item dry-cleaned.

Stylish neckties

Hadachu Orimono is a brand that works primarily with natural materials such as silk, crafting its products at its own factory.
It was founded in Showa 10 (1935) as a maker weaving fabric for umbrellas and furoshiki (wrapping cloths).
Fuji-Yoshida City in Yamanashi Prefecture, which flourished as a major production center for kaiki—a fabric once widely used for kimono linings—
boasts the largest necktie production volume in Japan.
Founded in 1935, Hadachu Orimono has continued to work daily with local artisans to develop new fabrics,
focusing on sha-ori (a gauze weave) for neckties—now produced by only a single company in Japan—
as well as jacquard weaving that makes the most of silk's distinctive texture.
As more than just a weaving factory, the brand also puts forward its own original label,
conveying its dedication to both materials and quality.

・Characteristics of HADACHU ORIMONO

As you can see from this photo,
some items are deliberately finished with a casual texture despite using high-quality silk.
By using thick-denier silk threads,
the lineup also includes neckties that let you enjoy a natural texture
free from the usual image of "silk = glossy sheen."

By intentionally cutting long silk fibers shorter and blending them with fibers of various colors,
finishing the fabric with an uneven surface, and using thick-gauge thread,
they create a rough, textured feel unlike any silk seen before.

・For long-lasting use of your necktie

Not just silk ties, but neckties in general are basically meant to be used without washing.
Forcing a wash can damage the fabric and change its texture.
Also, when the wrinkles left behind after removing a tie bother you,
you may be tempted to use a steam iron, but with silk,
the water droplets from the steam can cause stains, so it's best to avoid this.
Keep to the basic rule of resting a necktie for several days after wearing it once.
By spacing out how often you wear it, you can prevent wrinkles and make it last longer.

Delicate necklaces

000 (Triple-O) is a brand built around the concept of creating new value from zero, through the power of thread.
The brand's parent company is Kasamori, a long-established embroidery shop founded in Meiji 10 (1877) in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture.
Since its founding, Kasamori has based its craftsmanship on Kiryu's traditional techniques,
and since the 1960s has been engaged in embroidery work using jacquard embroidery machines.

While 000 itself is a brand that creates items using threads of various materials besides silk,

among them, the delicacy of the Sphere Silk series—which makes the most of silk's texture and sheen—
is truly stunning.

・Characteristics of 000

In this Sphere Silk series, thread fills the sphere all the way through to its core,
with the embroidery applied over and over again to create a three-dimensional form.
The spherical motif, resembling a silk cocoon, gives a soft impression precisely because it is made of thread.
Everything except the metal fittings is thread—which is exactly why it is graceful, delicate, and light.
Gentle to the touch, this is a necklace we highly recommend for anyone who finds metal cold or heavy.

・For long-lasting use of your silk necklace

You can hand-wash it at home in water using a neutral detergent for clothing that is suitable for silk.
If you're concerned about sweat or dirt, we recommend spot-cleaning just the affected area. 
Soak it in water with dissolved neutral detergent, hand-wash gently, then pat dry with a towel and dry in the shade.
(Please avoid leaving it to soak.) 
As with other silk items, avoid places exposed to direct sunlight or fluorescent light,
and store it somewhere with good ventilation.

The material we've focused on this time is "silk."
At first glance, it may seem difficult to handle,
but if you know the characteristics of each item and the proper way to care for it,
you can use it beautifully for a long time.
Silk instantly adds an elegant touch simply by incorporating it as an accessory.
Why not bring it into your everyday style?