SILK WEIGHT · 11 FAMILIES · 19 QUALITIES
About ~52 g/m² by the standard conversion. Here is what we actually weave at this weight, and what it is for.
12 momme (~52 gsm) is the classic lining weight and the weight our range covers most broadly — eleven families, including the habotai that most people mean when they say silk lining.
It is still light enough to disappear inside another garment, but substantial enough that a blouse made from it hangs rather than floats. This is the crossover point, and it is the single most useful weight to have in the room when you are deciding.
| Family | Qualities | GSM | In the range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silk Habotai | 4 | ~52 | 5mm Silk Habotai; 12mm Silk Habotai; Silk Pongee + 1 more |
| Silk Twill & Foulard | 3 | ~52 | 14mm Silk Twill; 14mm Silk Foulard; Silk Grosgrain Ribbon |
| Silk Charmeuse & Satin | 2 | ~52 | 12mm Silk Charmeuse; Plain Silk Satin |
| Silk Crepe de Chine | 2 | ~52 | 12mm Silk Crepe de Chine; 16mm Stretch Crepe de Chine |
| Silk Georgette | 2 | ~52 | 8mm Silk Georgette; Double Georgette |
| Silk Chiffon | 1 | ~52 | 12mm Double-layer Chiffon |
| Silk Organza | 1 | ~52 | 8mm Silk Organza |
| Batiste & Voile | 1 | ~52 | 6mm Silk Batiste |
| Silk Taffeta | 1 | ~52 | 12mm Silk Taffeta |
| Digital Printed Silk | 1 | ~52 | 12mm Printed Silk Habotai |
| Brocade & Jacquard | 1 | ~52 | Silk Lamé & Lurex |
Habotai at 12 mm is the default for a reason: slippery enough to let a coat slide over a jumper, cheap enough to use generously.
Opaque enough to wear alone in most constructions, particularly in a charmeuse or CDC.
Heavy enough to fall properly rather than hover. Most printed silk scarves sit at or near this weight.
A 12 mm slip under something cut on the bias stops it clinging without adding visible bulk.
Every weight we weave, with the number of families and individual qualities available at each. GSM is the standard conversion.
| Weight | Families | Qualities | Approx GSM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 momme | 1 | 1 | ~13 |
| 4 momme | 2 | 3 | ~17 |
| 5 momme | 3 | 4 | ~22 |
| 6 momme | 6 | 9 | ~26 |
| 8 momme | 9 | 15 | ~35 |
| 10 momme | 5 | 8 | ~43 |
| 12 momme | 11 | 19 | ~52 |
| 14 momme | 6 | 9 | ~61 |
| 16 momme | 10 | 33 | ~69 |
| 18 momme | 3 | 3 | ~78 |
| 19 momme | 9 | 26 | ~82 |
| 20 momme | 5 | 6 | ~87 |
| 22 momme | 12 | 30 | ~95 |
| 25 momme | 13 | 17 | ~108 |
| 30 momme | 10 | 15 | ~130 |
| 35 momme | 2 | 5 | ~152 |
| 40 momme | 6 | 8 | ~174 |
| 70 momme | 1 | 1 | ~304 |
One momme is roughly 4.34 g/m², so 12 momme works out to about ~52 per square metre. The conversion is the standard one published across the trade; actual GSM varies slightly by weave and finish.
11 families on our card are woven at this weight, 19 qualities in total — use the table above for the exact list. Availability of specific colours depends on what is on the shelf versus in a dye lot.
Momme is weight, not quality. A 12 mm is not better than a lighter one — it is a different tool. Quality is decided by the grade of the yarn and the evenness of the weave, both of which we hold constant across the range.
Yes, in stock colours — cut from one metre, same as the rest of the range. Custom dyeing of this weight starts from 40 metres per colour with a lab dip approved first.
AT THIS WEIGHT
Photographed from our own stock. Click through for the full family range.
Tell us the family, colour and length and we will quote it with a confirmed dispatch date.