Ann's Blog

I was out with some good friends recently and they asked me when I first became interested in silk. I had to think hard as we often hear the word silk used in so many different contexts, ie lawyers taking silk and jockeys wearing silk.

But I remember the first time I came across the term silk and it was when I was harnessed to one as a parachute. To be quite honest I really am unsure if it was silk or just called silk, but regardless of that it did keep me suspended when I needed it most, floating down to what was almost terra firma on my first parachute jump. I completed this foolhardy escapade in a country then known as Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). They were in the midst of a civil war so safety standards were  somewhat abridged.

Yes I was one of those foolish people who innocently wondered out loud about what it would be like to jump out of a plane. Well before I knew it I was completing  a quick weekend course, that really involved showing you how to deflect your weight when you landed.  I was then off in an old Cessna circling the skies to gain height for this anticipated adrenalin rush.

I had asked my trainer how long it would take me to land and he said around 3 minutes or 17 seconds if my chute failed to open. Well after such inspiring words I was off, wearing I might add all the blokes socks, boots and overalls as they didn’t cater for women in those days. I forgot to tell them that I wore glasses and was unable to spot the arrow in the sandpit 3000 feet up that pointed to the wind direction (which was used to brake your speed).

Needless to say after a few hair raising moments and thinking I could spot this pit I toggled over only to be hit by a foul smell. Yes I had virtually landed in a sewage evaporation pond. Fortunately my chute became entangled in some nearby trees which saved my complete immersion into the cesspot but I was badly shaken and received a lot of reassurance (mirth) from all the local kids in the area who really thought the whole thing very amusing.

So yes this is what came into my mind first when asked about my first contact with silk. Please feel free to share your own experiences of silk with me.

This is a question I am often asked. Normally most silk can be hand washed with a gentle non alkaline soap or shampoo, with a capful of white vinegar added to the rinse water. This will also normally remove most stains. However stains from perspiration, perfumes, and deodorants can cause irritating marks on your silk garments. In order to get rid of these stains sponge the affected area with diluted ammonia.

The alcohol content in the perfume can damage the colour and leave spots on your clothes. Apply a few drops of a denatured alcohol on a soft clean cloth and sponge the area from the outside in. This sponging technique will help to restore the colour and the stain will eventually disappear.

Fresh perspiration stains are supposedly acidic and washing can remove them. Older stains take an alkaline form, and you’ll need to sponge the garment with diluted vinegar to remove such stains. For more stubborn discolorations, apply a mixture of cream of tartar, crushed aspirin, and warm water to the area. Wait for twenty minutes, then rinse the area with warm water. This usually does the trick.
I welcome other suggestions that you may have found worked for you.

I recently read in the latest June edition of Ragtrader, a fashion industry magazine, where editor Tracy Porter highlighted the issues consumers have with sizing in the clothing industry. Some manufacturer’s even have different sizing amongst their own labels. It is hoped that the federal government will soon introduce a voluntary national sizing standard and anthropometric database.

It would be interesting to read your comments relating to some people who have also tried to charge more for larger bras i.e. above a DD cup. This caused a backlash recently for the well-known UK label Marks & Spencer’s who attempted unsuccessfully to rationalise the price increase for their lingerie because they claimed the bigger bras ‘”required more specialist work and … extra support”. What do readers think? Should we be expected to pay more for garments that cost more to make?.

One silk supplier I had would charge me more for each size as it got into the plus sizes rationalising this by saying the the silk they needed for these plus sizes was almost twice the size of the smaller sizes. I did not pass these prices on to my plus sized customers but was criticised for discriminating against the smaller sizes. These people asked why they should have to subsidise the plus sizes. I do look forward to any comments you have on this subject.

Many, many, many years ago I worked as a registered nurse in a South London hospital. I had brought with me from my home country New Zealand my fine nylon graduation nurses uniform.

One very cold evening just before Christmas I went to warm my derriere in front of an old heater. It was a very hot heater as well, required to warm up a large Nightingale ward (where you can see all the patients at once). As I walked away from this heater I had the awful realisation that the back of my uniform has just disappeared. It really had melted and shrivelled away. I was very fortunate not to suffer severe burns, though did suffer some embarrassment when I realised there were no extra gowns to wear.

I had to suffer the indignity of having to wear an elderly gentleman’s woolly dressing gown to cover up my now non existant uniform, until my shift was over. Since that time I have been extremely careful not to wear synthetic clothing. I realise that most synthetic fabrics burn or melt like this and can be quite dangerous.

It is interesting that if you want to test the difference between pure silk and polyester that you put a flame to it. (Be careful how you do this as I have been burnt testing polyester fabric). Some unscrupulous people will often try to tell you their fabric is pure silk and get very nervous when you produce a match or lighter and say you will test it yourself.

They then will confess that their silk is not ‘worm silk’. Well what other kind is there? I ask, and they confess that most people cannot tell the difference. I was even told in a well known store in Sydney when I asked if she had any silk sleepwear that yes they did and pointed me to some ‘chinese silk’ which turned out to be polyester. This I stated is an insult to the Chinese who discovered the genuine article.

Just to let you know if you burn pure silk (both the warp and weft threads) it should burn like your hair. This means it may smell a bit like singed hair as they are both proteins, but will not melt like polyester. It burns like fine ash to nothing. This is also why wearing silk is much better for you if you have the misfortune to be caught in a fire, as you are less like to suffer burns from melting fabric.

Please feel free to add any of your stories like this to my blog.

Slow fashion is when you have style that is timeless. This means it does not respond to the vagaries of fashion dictates and change each season. It is also made of high quality fabrics that are destined to last like silk, linen and cashmere.

The movement for slow fashion is apparantly taking off overseas especially in Britain. Here there is a move away from cheap, usually man made materials and garments where sweat shop labour is often employed. In this economic climate it makes good financial sense to buy well made garments made of natural fibres that not only last but you feel good wearing them.

In 2007 the editor of Vogue magazine Alexandra Shulman compared throwaway budget fashion to fast food, by stating in Britain’s Daily Mail that ‘a trip to a chain store could be as instantly fulfilling as a Big Mac’. She could foresee a ‘return of the timeless, treasured classics’

This of course is not a new concept for the generation that grew during wartime or the depression where you made your clothing last, passed them down to younger siblings or altered when needed.

This is why Simply Silk has a range of classic styled silk slips that can also be worn as nighties or even dresses (with some help from accessories). I have even worn my nightie for 3 years now and it looks like lasting another 3 easily. The tops and knits also can be worn as inner or outer wear depending on the climate and will last a long time when cared for properly. This ensures we do not add to landfill and maintain a smaller footprint on our environment. www.simplysilk.com.au

One great property of silk is its ability to absorb colours. This makes it a wonderful fabric to make scarves and dresses out of. Often though you will find rather expensive dresses made of silk fabric (either a fine chiffon or georgette silk) that requires a lining as this silk is see through and very light.

Now to keep costs down or maximise profits several companies make the lining out of nylon, polyester, acetate or some other man made fabric. This of course defeats the purpose of wearing silk close to your skin and maximise all those useful benefits mentioned previously.

So next time you are out shopping for a silk dress check the inside labels carefully.Make sure that if the dress doesn’t have a silk lining then at least ensure it is made of a natural fibre. Othewise on hot humid days you could find when wearing your dress it becomes very hot and sticky. People often complain then that silk is hot when in fact it is the man made lining that is the culprit.

In fact it is always a good idea to check the inner labels to see what the garment is made of. I have had several sales staff tell me something was silk when in fact it was 100% polyester when I checked it out.

Silk is a fibre that when made up into garments is something that makes a person feel very special and less likely to discard after a few wears. Apart from the fact it is a natural and environmentally friendly fabric, it has many beneficial properties. It can keep you cool in the warmer months, but warm in the cooler months. Also it can wick perspiration away from your skin and is great for sensitive skins. Most people love the way it caresses their body, but worry about how to care for it.

Simply Silk’s garments have been made so that they can be hand washed. This can be done with hand soap or mild shampoos. You can even do this when you are in the shower. No fancy detergents required.

Silk naturally repels dirt and body odours so you really don’t even need to wash it as often as other fabrics. A real saving both in time and cost of soaps etc.