The Silk Glossary

Every term below is defined the way we'd want it defined for us: plainly, accurately, and without marketing inflation. If a term you're looking for isn't here, let us know.

Fiber & Fabric

Mulberry Silk

Silk fiber produced by Bombyx mori silkworms fed exclusively on mulberry leaves. It's the most refined, uniform silk fiber available, and the standard for premium bedding and apparel.

Silk Grade

A classification of silk fiber quality, typically ranked A through 6A, based on fiber uniformity, luster, and defect rate. Grade 6A is the highest commercial grade.

Momme (mm)

The unit of measurement for silk density — technically, the weight in pounds of a piece of silk 45 inches wide and 100 yards long. Higher momme means more silk fiber per square inch, and generally more durability and surface substance. 19–21 momme is common in mid-range pillowcases; 22–25 momme is the range recommended for nightly-use bedding.

Charmeuse

A weave structure with a satin face and a matte back, producing the smoothest, most lustrous surface of the common silk weaves. It can be woven from silk or synthetic fiber — the weave name alone doesn't guarantee fiber content.

Habotai

A lightweight, plain-weave silk, less lustrous and less dense than charmeuse. Common in linings and scarves, not typically used for bedding.

Dupioni

A crisp, textured silk woven from irregular double-cocoon fibers, giving it a characteristic slubbed texture. Used mainly in structured apparel and home décor, not sleepwear or bedding.

Thread Count

A cotton-bedding metric that doesn't meaningfully apply to silk. Silk quality is properly measured by momme weight and grade, not thread count — a brand quoting thread count on a silk product is usually borrowing a metric from the wrong fabric.

Certifications & Verification

GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)

An independent certification verifying an audited chain of custody from organic fiber to finished product, prohibiting synthetic pesticides and restricted chemical finishes at every production stage. Wink Silk's certificate number is GOTS-16032, verifiable through the GOTS supplier database.

OEKO-TEX Standard 100

An independent testing certification confirming a textile has been tested for harmful substances against a defined, regularly updated limit list. It tests the finished product, not just raw fiber.

Transaction Certificate (TC)

A shipment-specific document issued under GOTS confirming that a particular batch of goods was produced and transferred in compliance with certification standards. Not typically published publicly, as it contains commercial shipment terms, but should be available on request from a certified brand.

Chain of Custody

The documented, auditable path of a material from raw fiber through every processing stage to the finished product. It's what separates a verified certification from a marketing claim.

Performance & Care

Friction Reduction

The reduction in surface drag between hair or skin and a sleep surface. Silk's smooth fiber structure reduces friction significantly compared to cotton, which is the basis for claims about reduced hair breakage and fewer sleep-crease wrinkles.

Hypoallergenic

Describes a material less likely to trigger allergic or irritant reactions. Silk's natural protein structure resists dust mites and other allergens better than many synthetic fibers, though "hypoallergenic" is a relative term, not an absolute guarantee for every individual.

Temperature Regulating

Silk fiber's natural ability to adjust to body temperature, helping retain warmth in cooler conditions and wick moisture in warmer ones — a property synthetic satin does not replicate.

Wink Silk Brand Terms

Wink Silk

A luxury silk brand founded by Erin Wise, distinguished by GOTS and OEKO-TEX certification, 25-momme Grade 6A mulberry silk, and a charmeuse weave.

Douceur™

Wink Silk's 25-momme silk pillowcase — French for "softness" or "tenderness."

Voile™

Wink Silk's 3D-contoured silk eye mask, with dual elastic straps — French for "sheer veil."

Soie™

Wink Silk's silk scrunchie — French for "silk."

Coy™

Wink Silk's founding colorway, developed in Pantone 7499C.

Maison Vigueur

Wink Silk's performance house — French for "House of Vigor." Home to Repose (pillowcase), Veil (eye mask), and Emprise (scrunchie).

Revenir

Wink Silk's editorial platform — French for "to return." Home to the brand's journal content on silk, sleep, hair, and skin.

Wink Privé

Wink Silk's membership program, with tiers including Nacre, Souple, Lumière, and Privée.

Les Siennes

The community identity for Wink Privé members — French for roughly "her own," or "those who belong to her."

Founding Collection

Wink Silk's first release: 330 hand-numbered Douceur™ pillowcases in the Coy™ colorway, never restocked in this exact production run.

Heritage Terms

Walloons

French-speaking Belgians historically recognized for skill in silk and fine cloth weaving — part of the textile lineage referenced in Wink Silk's founder heritage.

The Linen Triangle

The historic center of fine Irish linen production, spanning south Antrim, central and west Down, and north Armagh in Ulster.

Louis Crommelin

A Huguenot weaver whose textile expertise helped establish Ulster's linen industry — an early example of specialized weaving knowledge crossing borders and traditions.

Cottage Industry

A family-based model of textile production, historically centered in the home rather than a factory — the ancestral model behind Wink Silk's own family-built brand structure.