The glossy satin face, the matte crepe back, and the momme that decides whether it drapes or collapses.
Momme
12–40 mm
Weight
≈ 52–172 gsm
Width
114 / 140 cm
Availability
Ready stock
Silk charmeuse is a satin-weave mulberry silk with a lustrous face and a duller crepe back. It is the fabric most people picture when they say "silk": liquid, luminous, and heavy enough to fall in one clean line. We weave it from 12 to 30 momme and, on the heavier qualities, up to 40 and 70 momme for couture and home.
The single decision that changes everything is weight. At 12–16 mm charmeuse is a lining and blouse silk; at 19 mm it is the classic slip-dress and bridal weight; at 25–30 mm it stops being a fabric that clings and starts being a fabric that sculpts. Order the swatch card before you commit — charmeuse is the family where a two-momme difference is visible on the body.
At a glance
Satin face with a crepe back — glossy on one side, matte and grippy on the other
19 mm is the workhorse weight for bias slip dresses; 30 mm holds a sculpted bodice
Takes reactive dye to a deep, even shade; prints beautifully on the face
Hand-wash or dry-clean; press on the reverse with a cool iron
How Silk Charmeuse & Satin is woven
Structure: Satin (warp-faced, 5- or 8-end)
Interlacing diagram — warp ends vertical, weft picks horizontal. A dark cell is a point where the warp passes over the weft.
Charmeuse is woven on a satin binding: each warp end floats over four or seven picks before it interlaces, so almost no binding points break up the surface. That is where the lustre comes from — long, uninterrupted floats reflect light in one direction. The weft is a crepe-twisted yarn, which is why the reverse reads matte and slightly grippy rather than slippery.
The practical consequence: the face has no structural grip, so seams and needle holes show more than on a crepe, and the cloth is prone to snagging on rough surfaces. The matte back is the side to work against when you need friction, for example under a waistband stay.
Understanding the structure is the cheapest way to predict behaviour: the length of the float decides the lustre and the snag resistance, and the twist in the yarn decides how much the cloth creases. If you are choosing between two families, the weight chart and the fabric selector filter on both.
Weights we weave — and what each one is for
Momme fixes the price, the opacity and the drape. The table below is the range we actually quote for Silk Charmeuse & Satin. The exact weight and width are confirmed in writing on every quotation.
Momme
Approx. gsm
What it is for
Qualities
12 mm
≈ 52 gsm
Blouse, lining and light slip weight — fluid, slightly translucent in pale shades
12 mm Charmeuse, Plain Satin
14 mm
≈ 60 gsm
Blouse, lining and light slip weight — fluid, slightly translucent in pale shades
Peau de Soie
16 mm
≈ 69 gsm
Blouse, lining and light slip weight — fluid, slightly translucent in pale shades
12 mm Charmeuse, 19 mm Charmeuse, 19 mm Stretch Charmeuse, Crepe Back Satin
19 mm
≈ 82 gsm
The classic dress weight: opaque, heavy drape, no lining needed for most bodies
12 mm Charmeuse, 19 mm Charmeuse, 19 mm Stretch Charmeuse, Crepe Back Satin
22 mm
≈ 95 gsm
The classic dress weight: opaque, heavy drape, no lining needed for most bodies
12 mm Charmeuse, 19 mm Charmeuse, 19 mm Stretch Charmeuse, Crepe Back Satin
25 mm
≈ 108 gsm
Structured couture and evening weight — builds volume, holds a fold
12 mm Charmeuse, 19 mm Charmeuse, 30 mm Heavy Charmeuse, Crepe Back Satin
30 mm
≈ 129 gsm
Structured couture and evening weight — builds volume, holds a fold
12 mm Charmeuse, 30 mm Heavy Charmeuse, Plain Satin
40 mm
≈ 172 gsm
Structured couture and evening weight — builds volume, holds a fold
Plain Satin
Not sure which weight you need? The momme chart converts every weight to gsm and matches each band to the garments it serves, and the selector filters the whole library by weight and application.
What Silk Charmeuse Fabric is used for
Typical applications in this family are bias-cut slip dresses, bridal and evening gowns, blouses, robe and sleepwear, pillowcases and bedding, linings that need to slide. Each link opens the buying guide for that application, with the weight windows we recommend and the fabrics our clients actually order.
Charmeuse is a satin weave; "satin" alone can be polyester. If you need the matte-back grip for a bias cut, ask for crepe-back charmeuse. Read the Silk Satin guide.
Cutting and sewing this weight
Silk is not difficult to sew, but it punishes the wrong needle. The parameters below are the ones our clients converge on for this weight band; test on an offcut first, because a needle size that is fine for one finish will pick threads in another.
Parameter
What we recommend for 12–40 mm (≈ 52–172 gsm)
Machine needle
70/10 to 80/12, fresh needle every few garments
Stitch length
10–12 stitches per inch (2.5 mm)
Thread
Fine mercerised cotton, silk-finished polyester, or spun silk — matched to the shell so the seam does not pucker
Interlining / support
25–40 gsm, or a hair-canvas chest piece for a structured bodice
Pressing
silk setting with steam, always through a cloth; do not glaze a satin face
Pre-shrinking
cold soak, or have the piece steam-shrunk before laying the pattern
Seam finish
French or hairline seam on anything sheer; overlocked and turned on opaque weights
Cut single layer. Silk shifts, and a folded lay gives you two panels that are not mirror images.
Pin inside the seam allowance only, with fine glass-head or silk pins — a pin hole through charmeuse or a satin face is permanent.
Use a fine, well-twisted thread. A thick thread in a fine needle leaves a visible channel and puckers the seam.
Mark the straight grain on every panel before you lift it off the table. On a bias-cut garment the grain line is the whole design.
French seams or hairline seams on anything sheer: a plain turned seam shows as a dark line through the cloth.
How much silk charmeuse & satin to order
Planning quantities, from standard block patterns. Figures are for a plain layout with no pattern repeat to match.
Garment or item
At 114 cm width
At 140 cm width
Notes
Scarf 90 × 90 cm
1.0 m
1.0 m
Includes a narrow hand-rolled hem; allow more for a wide hem or a border print
Camisole or shell top
1.2 m
1.0 m
Bias cut; add 15% if the design is cut on the true bias
Blouse or shirt
2.0 m
1.6 m
Straight body, set-in sleeve; more for a gathered or oversized body
A-line skirt
1.5 m
1.2 m
Above-knee; a full circle skirt needs roughly double
Straight dress
2.8 m
2.2 m
Knee length, no train, bodice and skirt from one length
Bias slip dress
3.2 m
2.6 m
Bias layouts waste more; buy the length the pattern states, not the flat measure
Evening gown with train
5.5 m
4.5 m
Floor length; fitted bodice plus a trained skirt needs a second length to match
Standard pillowcase 50 × 70 cm
0.7 m
0.7 m
Envelope closure; pair two if the fabric has a directional nap
Curtain panel, 2× fullness
—
3.0 m per metre of drop
Rule of thumb: drop × 2 to 2.5 for pencil pleat, plus hem and heading allowance
These are planning figures from standard block patterns, not a cutting guarantee. They assume no pattern matching and no nap. Add 10–15% for a large repeat or a one-direction print, and add your shrinkage allowance before you order. If a program is costing on metres, send us the marker and we will quote against the actual consumption.
What to check before you cut
Every roll is inspected before dispatch, but cloth is a natural product and dye lots vary. These are the eight checks worth making at goods-in — they take two minutes and they are the difference between a claim and a write-off.
Check
How to do it
What is a problem
Shading, side-to-side and end-to-end
Lay the cloth folded end to end and across the width under daylight or a D65 lamp.
Any visible step between the centre and the selvedge, or between the start and the end of a roll.
Bowing and skewing
Square the cloth on a table and measure the diagonal, or check a printed repeat against the selvedge.
The weft running more than a few centimetres off square across the width — it distorts every panel cut from it.
Slubs, thick and thin places
Expected and structural in dupioni and shantung; check for consistency across panels.
A slub count that varies sharply between panels of the same garment.
Broken ends, floats, snagged yarns
Hold the cloth up to a light source and scan across the width.
Any broken filament on a satin face — it will run under tension.
Crease marks and chafe marks
Unroll flat and look across the surface at a low angle.
Permanent creases pressed into a finish, or abraded lines where the roll has rubbed in transit.
Soiling, oil and water marks
Scan both sides; some marks only show on the reverse.
Any spot. Silk stains cannot be safely spot-cleaned before dyeing.
Width short against the ticket
Measure the usable width between the selvedges, excluding the pin-holes.
Less usable width than the quotation states — markers are often drawn tight.
Hand and finish against the approved sample
Compare to the bulk sample you signed off, in the same lighting.
A softer or firmer hand, or a difference in lustre. Finishing drifts between dye lots.
Every roll we ship is inspected before it leaves, and any piece with a defect is cut short and the metrage credited rather than passed on. Even so, check the cloth before it goes under the knife: once a piece is cut it is accepted. Report anything within seven days of delivery with the roll number.
Ordering: minimums, colours and finishing
Stock colours are available from 1 metre, which makes sampling practical. Custom dyeing starts at 40 metres per colour with a lab dip approved before bulk; digital printing starts at 40 metres per design after a strike-off. Widths are 114 / 140 cm, and the momme tolerance is stated on the quotation rather than assumed.
For a production program, approve a one-metre cut in the bulk colour before the roll is dyed — screen colour and cloth colour are not the same thing, and silk charmeuse fabric is a family where a shade difference shows across a seam.
Care and handling
Hand wash cold with a pH-neutral silk detergent, or dry clean. Do not soak or wring; roll in a towel and dry flat away from direct sun. Press on the reverse with a cool iron through a cloth. Expect 3–5% shrinkage on the first wash, so pre-shrink before cutting a production run.
Frequently asked questions
What is silk charmeuse fabric?
Charmeuse is a 100% mulberry silk woven in a satin weave, so the face reflects light while the back stays matte. We supply it from 12 to 30 momme; 19 mm is the standard dress weight and 30 mm is the heavy couture weight.
How much does silk charmeuse cost per metre?
Price is quoted per order and moves with momme, width and quantity. 16–19 mm charmeuse sits in the middle of the silk range; 30 mm and above costs materially more per metre because it uses roughly twice the raw silk. Ask for a quote against your quantity and colour.
Is 19mm or 22mm charmeuse better for a dress?
19 mm is the classic slip-dress weight — opaque, fluid, comfortable in warm rooms. 22 mm adds body and a slightly deeper lustre, which suits bias-cut gowns and anything that has to skim rather than cling. Both are correct; the choice is about how much structure you want.
Does charmeuse show every seam?
It shows needle marks and picked threads more than a crepe, so use a fine needle (size 60–70), silk pins inside the seam allowance, and test on offcuts. The crepe back is more forgiving than the face — cut and sew with the matte side up where the design allows.
Can I get charmeuse in custom colours?
Yes. 15+ colours are held on the stock card and any Pantone reference can be dyed to order, with a lab dip for approval before bulk. Custom dyeing starts at 40 metres per colour.
How do I know this is real mulberry silk and not polyester satin?
Ask for a burn test on a cutting: mulberry silk burns slowly, smells like burning hair, and leaves a brittle black bead that crushes to powder. Polyester melts, smells sweet-acrid and leaves a hard bead. We supply 100% mulberry silk and state the composition on every quotation; if you need formal confirmation we can arrange third-party fibre analysis on the bulk.
What width do the rolls come in, and can I get a wider one?
Standard widths are 114 cm and 140 cm, and the usable width excludes the selvedge. Wider widths are woven to order on a minimum quantity. If a marker needs a specific width, tell us before quoting — the price is calculated on the width as well as the weight.
How much shrinkage should I allow?
Silk typically relaxes 3–8% on the first wet treatment, more on washed finishes and less on a fabric that has already been sand-washed. The safe approach is to pre-shrink a full length before cutting a production run, or to have the piece steam-shrunk. Do not guess: the allowance belongs in the marker, not in the pattern.
Can you match a colour I send you?
Yes. Send a physical swatch or a Pantone reference and we dye a lab dip for approval before bulk. Custom colours start at 40 metres per colour. Screen and monitor colours are not a reliable reference — a photograph of a fabric is two colour conversions away from the cloth.
What is the lead time?
Stock colours dispatch in a few working days. Dyed-to-order runs need the lab dip approved first, then dyeing and finishing; printed runs need a strike-off approved before bulk. The quotation carries the confirmed date for your quantity, and we would rather quote a longer date and meet it.
Do you ship samples, and can I order just one metre?
Yes. Stock colours are available from one metre so you can test drape, dye uptake and washing before committing. We post swatch cards worldwide; tell us which families you are comparing and we will send the relevant colours.
PHOTOGRAPHED FROM OUR STOCK
Silk Charmeuse & Satin — the cloth, as it is
Unretouched photographs of rolls and cut lengths from our own floor. Colour varies between dye lots; the swatch card is the only reliable reference.
