Charmeuse is silk woven in a satin weave, so it has a glossy face, a matte back and a fluid drape. It's the fabric most silk pillowcases are made from. Habotai is silk in a plain weave: lighter, thinner, with a soft, even sheen on both sides, and it's used mostly for linings and scarves. Same fiber, different weave, and a very different fabric on your pillow.
You've got two listings open. One says "silk charmeuse." The other says "habotai silk pillowcase" and costs a lot less. Both are real silk. So is the cheaper one the same pillowcase? Not quite, and the label tells you why once you know what to look for.
What is charmeuse silk?
Charmeuse (French for "female charmer") is a lightweight satin weave fabric. In a satin weave, the lengthwise threads float over several crosswise threads before dipping under one. Those long floats make the front smooth and shiny. The back is dull.
- A glossy, slippery face. On a pillowcase, this is the side against your skin and hair.
- A matte back. It faces the pillow, and it's the easiest way to tell which side is which.
- Drape. Charmeuse flows and pools, which is why it shows up in lingerie, evening gowns and bias cut dresses as well as bedding.
Silk charmeuse pillowcases are usually sold at 19, 22 or 25 momme. Momme is the weight unit for silk, so a higher number means more silk in every square meter, and you can feel it as a denser, more opaque fabric. Why weight matters is its own question, answered in our guide to 25 momme silk.
What is habotai silk?
Habotai (also spelled habutai or habutae, and often sold as China silk) is one of the most basic plain weave silks. Each crosswise thread goes over one and under one, like a checkerboard. No floats, so no high gloss face. Both sides look nearly the same.
It's light. A sheer habotai might be around 8 momme, and 16 momme counts as a thick one. It's smooth, easy to dye and paint, and usually less expensive than heavier silks. You'll find it as:
- Linings in jackets, coats and skirts
- Scarves, especially hand-painted ones
- Summer blouses and very light lingerie
- Some lower-priced and travel "silk" pillowcases
What's the difference between charmeuse and habotai?
Here it is side by side, with polyester satin added, because that's the third fabric in most people's search results.
| Silk charmeuse | Silk habotai | Polyester satin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber | Silk | Silk | Polyester (sometimes with spandex) |
| Weave | Satin | Plain | Satin |
| Surface | Glossy face, matte back | Soft sheen, both sides similar | Glossy face, matte back |
| Typical weight | Pillowcases at 19, 22 or 25 momme | About 8 momme (sheer) to 16 momme (thick) | Not measured in momme |
| Drape | Fluid, pools and flows | Light and floaty | Fluid, can feel slick |
| Usual uses | Pillowcases, eye masks, scrunchies, lingerie | Linings, scarves, light blouses | Lower-priced pillowcases and accessories |
The one-line version worth sending a friend: the fiber tells you what it is, the weave tells you how it was made, and the momme tells you how much of it you're getting.
Which silk weave is better for a pillowcase?
For most people, charmeuse. A pillowcase has one main job: give your face and hair a smooth surface to move across for hours. Charmeuse puts its smoothest side exactly there. Habotai is smooth too, but it's lighter and thinner, with less body, so as a pillowcase it can feel flimsy next to a heavier charmeuse. Denser silk has more fiber per square meter, so there's more fabric to wear through. How long any pillowcase lasts still comes down to care, which how to wash a silk pillowcase covers.
A habotai pillowcase is still real silk. It's just a different fabric from the charmeuse most people picture when they say "silk pillowcase," so compare the weave and the momme before you compare prices.
Is charmeuse the same as satin?
Satin is a weave. Silk is a fiber. Charmeuse is what you get when you weave silk, or sometimes a synthetic, in a satin weave. So silk charmeuse is a silk satin, but most things labeled only "satin" aren't silk at all.
A "satin pillowcase" is usually polyester. It gives you a glossy surface for much less money, and that can be a fair choice, as long as you know you're buying the weave and not the fiber. Polyester is a synthetic fiber. Silk is a protein fiber made by silkworms. For the full comparison, read silk vs satin pillowcase.
How can I tell which weave I'm buying?
Check the label before you check the price. It takes ten seconds.
- Find the fiber. "100% mulberry silk" tells you the fiber. "Satin" alone tells you only the weave.
- Find the weave. Look for "charmeuse" or "habotai." If neither word appears, ask.
- Find the momme. A pillowcase with no momme listed is asking you to guess.
(A pillowcase that says "silky" is telling you how it wants to be perceived, not what it's made of.) If you already own one and aren't sure, try the tests in real silk vs fake silk.
I also live with MCAS, and I need to know exactly what touches my skin. That's why I want you to know the fiber, the weave, the weight and the certificate before you buy anything.
Who should choose charmeuse, and who should choose habotai?
Choose silk charmeuse if you want a pillowcase, eye mask or scrunchie with a smooth face against your skin and hair, a fabric with real body, and silk that holds up to regular washing.
Choose habotai if you're sewing linings, dyeing or painting scarves, making light garments, or want a very light silk for travel. It's lovely silk doing exactly what it was designed for.
Choose polyester satin if price is the deciding factor and you want a glossy surface now. Just know you're buying the weave, not the fiber.
What weave does Wink Silk use?
Charmeuse, in everything we make. Every Wink piece is Performance Luxury Silk™: 25 momme, Grade 6A, 100% mulberry silk charmeuse, crafted by a GOTS & OEKO-TEX certified silk house (GOTS license 00284622; OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificates 22.HCN.30712 for pillowcases and 19.HCN.84688 for the Voile™ eye mask and Soie™ scrunchies, Class I). Wink Silk is pursuing its own GOTS and OEKO-TEX certifications. What each part of that standard means is in what Performance Luxury Silk means.
Douceur™ is a single layer at $185. Douceur Doublure™ is two layers of the same charmeuse at $245, in 330 hand-numbered founding pieces that will never be restocked. Pillowcases are queen size only for now. Ship date confirmed by email after purchase, and you can cancel for a full refund any time before it ships.
Wink Privé, our free membership, opens November 2, three days before everyone else. Join at winksilk.com/pages/founding.
Wink. The brand that shows you the certificates.
Sleep beautifully.
Sources
- Charmeuse (Wikipedia)
- Habutai (Wikipedia)
- Satin (Britannica)
- Units of textile measurement: momme (Wikipedia)
- Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements Under the Textile and Wool Acts (FTC)
- Certifications: Wink Silk
Every Wink piece is 25 momme, Grade 6A, 100% mulberry silk charmeuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is charmeuse silk?
Charmeuse is a lightweight fabric in a satin weave, where lengthwise threads float over several crosswise threads. That makes a glossy, smooth face and a dull matte back, with a fluid drape. Silk charmeuse is the fabric most silk pillowcases use, and it's also used for lingerie, blouses and bias cut dresses. Pillowcases are usually 19, 22 or 25 momme.
Is charmeuse the same as satin?
Charmeuse is a type of satin, but not all satin is charmeuse, and not all satin is silk. Satin is a weave, not a fiber. Silk charmeuse is silk woven in a satin weave. Most products labeled only satin, including many satin pillowcases, are polyester woven the same way. Check the fiber content on the label to know which you're buying.
Is habotai silk good for pillowcases?
Habotai is real silk, but it's a light plain weave, from about 8 momme (sheer) to 16 momme (thick), made mostly for linings and scarves. As a pillowcase it's thinner than charmeuse and has no glossy satin face. It can work for travel. Most silk pillowcases are charmeuse, so compare the weave and momme before you compare prices.
Which side of a charmeuse pillowcase is the right side?
The glossy side is the face, and it's the side that should touch your skin and hair. The matte side is the back of the fabric and faces the pillow. If you're unsure, run your fingertips across both: the face feels slicker and reflects more light. A well-made silk pillowcase is sewn so only the face shows.
What is China silk?
China silk is another name for habotai, a lightweight plain weave silk that's soft and smooth, with a similar sheen on both sides. It's popular for linings, hand-painted scarves and light blouses. The name refers to the fabric style, not necessarily where a given piece was made.
