How is merino silk different?
Posted by Team NZNC on 1st Feb 2022
Looking for new clothing can sometimes be disconcerting. Silk wool, merino silk, possum merino silk? How are you meant to know what you should pick? Also, how are you supposed to know what the differences are, how do they work together?
If these questions have ever run through your mind when browsing for new items, this is the blog for you. By the end, you should feel able to understand the whats, why’s and how's of all things silk and be able to make the most informed choice when picking your new favourite items.
How is merino silk different?
Blending different types of fibres into a single fabric is very common and silk wool as a blended fabric is an excellent example of why.
Mixing and blending fibres can help to remove some of the disadvantages that sticking to a single type of fabric can cause.
For example, t-shirts are often made of a blend of polyester and cotton, known as poly-cotton. This can reduce stretching or warping, and allows ease of movement and a better fit with all the easy care of both the cotton and the polyester.
At New Zealand Natural Clothing, we don’t use a blend of silk and sheep wool, but our clothing does use a fabric made of a blend of possum fibres, merino wool and silk. It is a fabric that reduces or removes some of the disadvantages of both wool and silk while retaining the best qualities of both. Let’s take a look at some of these.
The components of merino silk and some of their disadvantages...
Separately, both silk and wool have their advantages and disadvantages. They have certain limitations on what they can be used for as well as things that work amazingly well.
Wool has a lot of great advantages as a fabric, making it useful as a material for a wide range of products. It has moisture wicking properties, which draws away water and sweat from the body. It’s both breathable and a natural insulator, so it can be used for clothing in both winter and summer and not get too hot or too cold. It’s natural fibres are antimicrobial, which helps to prevent smell from sweat or dirt, and other issues that might occur from being stored in cupboards, such as mold.
There are some disadvantages to sheep wool of course. It can be coarse or scratchy, depending on the weave. Unfortunately, some people can be allergic to wool, which can cause skin irritations and itchy or sneezing and puffy eyes.
Most of these disadvantages don’t apply to merino wool though, which is why we love it! Merino isn’t scratchy at all, but instead known for being made of fine fibres and it makes lovely soft blended fabrics. It is more hypo-allergenic as well which reduces the likelihood of allergic reactions. But all wool, sheep or merino, needs to be washed and dried correctly or it can stretch and warp out of shape.
Some of the many advantages of silk include that it is lightweight and very durable. Silk is well known for its soft and smooth feel, and its shiny appearance. Silk is also made of completely natural fibres; although as it is an animal product the same as wool, it isn’t vegan. It is often known as a luxury fabric, similar to cashmere.
Silk does have it’s disadvantages too. It’s more expensive because it is seen as a luxury material. It can yellow with age, especially pale colours like whites and creams. It is hard to clean and can easily be ruined if not washed properly. It also has a lot of controversy around its production and the way that the silk is taken from the silkworms, depending on the source.
Sometimes working together is better
Merino silk is a great blend. It increases the positive qualities of all the individual fibres of both materials and helps reduce a lot of the disadvantages.
Blending silk and merino wool means you retain the sheen and appearance of the silk, often on only one side of the fabric. It is no longer as lightweight as silk, but the added weight of the wool is often seen as a benefit of silk wool as it allows the fabric to drape beautifully and hold it’s shape. Even if merino is lighter weight than sheeps wool, it is still naturally heavier than silk.
Merino silk is both breathable and insulating, due to its wool properties. This makes it a versatile textile that can be used for a variety of products such as sportswear, lingerie, and winter clothing. It is also often used for outdoor and sporting gear due to it being a durable lightweight fabric.
Merino wool is used as the woolen component of the silk wool blend at New Zealand Natural Clothing, because it is very soft and is more breathable and insulating than normal sheeps wool. It also has stronger antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. So it takes all the best parts of the normal silk wool blend and makes them even better.
Blending merino silk with possum fibres
Merino silk can also be blended with other fibres to increase those advantages even further. At New Zealand Natural Clothing, our merino silk is blended with possum fibres. These fibres are amazing, and blend really well with others.
This combination produces a fabric that doesn’t produce static or wool ‘pilling’. It also increases the insulating properties of merino silk, because the possum fibres are hollow and so can hold the warm air inside each fibre.
Possum fibres are silky soft, so they add to the soft and smooth texture of the blend of silk and merino. The fibres are also odor resistant, same as merino wool and really lightweight too. So all brilliant reasons why our clothing is a possum merino silk blend instead of using just a merino and silk mix.
Care and storage of silk wool blends
Both silk and wool are known for their need for careful washing and drying, to prevent damage to them. Trying to wash a silk wool blend can be confusing, as it can be uncertain as to whether you should wash and care for these fabrics as silk or as wool.
Normally, a blend containing silk should be washed as if it was all silk, even if it's ninety percent cotton. This is because silk is the more delicate of the two fibres and needs to be treated accordingly. Similarly, wool blends need to be washed as wool, to prevent stretch or damage.
In the case of silk wool blends, the clothing should be washed as if it was wool, as it counts as the more ‘delicate’ fibre of the two. That means it also needs to be dried as wool clothing would be - laid out flat so that it won’t be pulled or stretched out of shape by its own weight.
When storing your silk wool, or your possum merino silk, it doesn’t need anything specific to keep it nice. Wool doesn’t wrinkle or crease, and silk only does a little. Most silk wool blends take after the wool in this, so you don’t have to worry about making sure your silk wool is hung up before wearing to reduce wrinkles and creases. Just take it out of the drawer or cupboard and put it straight on.
If you want to know more about the care and washing of wool, check out our blog post on top tips for wool clothing care.
Maybe different but definitely better
So, there you have it. Silk blended with merino wool is a fabric that has some brilliant advantages.
By mixing the two fibres together, the insulating and breathable qualities of both wool and silk are increased, creating a warm, durable fabric that will still allow the wicking away of moisture and prevent overheating. It is as shiny and smooth as silk and has the weight and draping of wool. And these qualities only improve more with the use of possum fibres as part of the blending.
Just remember to wash and dry it as carefully as you would wool, even if you don’t have to worry about wrinkles from storage. Enjoy your silk wool clothing!