Here’s a funny thing I noticed when shopping for silk fabrics. Lots of silk retailers who sell silk dupioni would include a note in their product copy - sometimes even in the product title in capital letters - “Please, only make the purchase if you know this fabric”, or “Don’t buy it if you are not familiar with dupioni silk”. It’s as if they don’t want to make the sale.
Of course, there’s a good reason for it. Silk dupioni sellers often receive customer complaints because after receiving their order, the customer thinks the silk is fake or of low quality. It’s better to warn your customers ahead of time than to send lengthy explanations to a frustrated buyer after the fact.
This is all because silk dupioni is, well, not like silk in many ways. First, it is NOT smooth, like, at all. Silk dupioni has a slubbed texture similar to tree bark. Visible, slightly raised, irregular threads run across the fabric, which is caused by two silkworms spinning cocoons close together, thus creating a natural variation in the thread. This gives dupioni silk its raw, organic romance.
Adding to this somewhat wild elegance, some dupioni silk is also two-toned, woven using threads of two different colours and creating a shimmer effect that changes in colour when you look at it from different angles. Two-toned dupioni silk is particularly popular in India. I’ve seen combinations of colours that share the same undertone, such as salmon pink and lilac purple, as well as combinations of colours of contrasting tones, such as ruby red and emerald green. When used correctly, silk dupioni can add a strong sense of mystery and sophistication to an outfit.
Where is this best used? Crisp and firm, silk dupioni is often seen in dresses, jackets, coats and home decor. And to answer a question I know many people must have: yes, you can wear silk dupioni next to your skin. I have a silk dupioni dress, which is one of my favourites in summer. The slubbed texture means the fabric does not stick to your skin and the dress will easily keep its shape. I don’t have super sensitive skin, but in my opinion, if you are ok with the feel of linen then you’d be ok with silk dupioni.
We’ve opened up custom orders for silk dupioni, check here for our image book
