If it’s not silk, what could it be?

[Impey]

I’m trying to work out what fabric this 1950s (?) evening gown is made of! No composition label (obviously), cleaning instructions say ‘dry clean only’ and that’s it.

It’s beautiful fabric, albeit a bit stained in places - and has a gorgeous sheen that changes colour as you look at it. The weave looks uneven and it crinkles.

So, I’m hoping it’s silk, but the burn test didn’t seem that conclusive, and it’s stood up incredibly well to hand washing whigg C makes me wonder. But if it’s not silk what could it be?

ive included a picture of the dress and some close ups of the fabric. The last one is post steaming! Really hope someone can help!

many thanks

impey

 

[MagsRags]

Very pretty.

What happened during the fiber burn test? Self extinguishing or no?

 

[Impey]

I would say no. Which makes me think not silk. Bugger

 

[MagsRags]

So, next step. Char/ash? Or melted? If it's a natural/synthetic blend, it might be somewhere in between.

For any of our forum guests who are trying to follow along, I'm working off of my go-to graphic for this, shown below.

 

[Impey]

Hmmm, at this rate not much of the dress will be left (or my fingers for that matter!). It seems to be a burns, turns into a black blob kind of material. So I’m assuming synthetic.

Does that mean likely to be 60s rather than 50s?

 

[retro ruth]

Burning and turning into a black bead could be silk... silk has a particular smell, quite different from synthetics. I don't suppose you managed to get a sniff?

It could be blend, which makes it very hard to tell the composition from a burn test.

 

[Impey]

I got a faint whiff of vinegar (but I have been washing it in that) but other than that difficult to say. Not burning hair though (I actually burnt some of mine just to check!)

Hmmmm... maybe stick with ‘unknown’. Definitely can’t claim it’s silk!

 

[retro ruth]

(I actually burnt some of mine just to check!)

That's dedication!

 

[Linn]

In your photo it "looks" like silk but it could be rayon or a blend. I just looked this up - does this describe it?


What happens when Rayon is burned?
Rayon : Same as cotton, but burns slowly without flame with slight melting; leaves soft black ash. ... It shrinks from the flame. It has the odor of charred meat (some say like burned hair). The residue is a black, hollow irregular bead that can be easily to a gritty, grayish-black ash powder.

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

From the photos, I’d expect this to be rayon shantung, and the colour had a real moment in the early ‘60s.

 

[Impey]

Definitely didn’t burn slowly, no burning meat and didn’t crumble.

I was wondering about acetate given the whiff of vinegar / potentially a blend with silk?

however rayon shantung sounds super sophisticated!

thanks all for your help, learning all the time from the lovely people on here

 

[Midge]

Nothing to add - except that it's a gorgeous dress! Love that colour !

 

[kittenteethvintage]

What does the underside of the fabric look like? If it is black I'm wondering if it is whatever the mystery material in the below thread is? Note that there are pics on both page 1 and 2 of garments made of this type of material-

https://forums.vintagefashionguild.org/threads/help-with-the-fabric-in-this-dress-please.72264/

 

[Impey]

Nope, definitely not black! Thanks for this though.

I think the best description is probably ‘some form of artificial silk’!

 

[kittenteethvintage]

Ah, well- was worth a try!

Beautiful dress!

 

[bycinbyhand]

From the photos, I’d expect this to be rayon shantung, and the colour had a real moment in the early ‘60s.

I was thinking this too!