Did you ever wonder what to call that silk fabric used for so many scarves? You know, the elegant light fabric with a diagonal twill weave? I've heard this fabric called twilled silk, and that isn't wrong, but this is even more to the point. Surah is usually made of silk, but is sometimes made with silky manufactured fibers. It is found in a right-hand twill weave with the diagonal pattern of the twill visible on both sides. It is soft, smooth and fine and can be printed or solid. The French name surah comes from Surat, India, where the fabric was either first made, or dealt in, depending on the source of information. Uses: Neckties (it is sometimes called tie silk), scarves, blouses, dresses, and lingerie. See also: Foulard Silk surah: Model Dovima wears a lovely short summer party dress. Lemon yellow silk surah with white polka dots the size of a doubloon; white Alençon lace collar, chest and facings. By Harvey Berin, in Couture fabric. US Vogue, May 1959. You can certainly see the silk's luster here. Even better, here is a model wearing a polka dot silk surah dress by Rappi, photographed by Frances McLaughlin-Gill for Glamour, April 1960. You can really sense the feel of this lightweight fabric with the motion in this shot. After silk, the most common fiber for surah surely must be acetate. This is a kimono-style evening dress by Jean Varon, 1972. Photo from the Fashion Museum Bath, which describes it as being made of Tricel surah. An example of how one fabric leads you to another and another: Tricel was a trademarked name by the British firm Courtaulds Ltd., which began development for a triacetate fiber in 1950. In the US, triacetate was introduced under the trademarked name Arnel. The fiber was first commercially produced in 1954. Triacetate is a modified acetate fiber that is stronger when wet, with great resistance to heat, shrinkage, wrinkling and fading.
