1

Silk, How it’s Made and is it Ethical

Avery Claus

Sandy Spring Friends School

Weaving & Fiber Arts

Heidi Brown

Friday, December 15, 2023

 2

Full Title of Your Paper

Silk is a luxury fabric that most people have heard of at some point in their lives. Silk production

originated in China during the Neolithic age and was fine-tuned into a step-by-step process using

the utmost efficiency. China continued to be the only producer and holder of silk fabric until the

Silk Road spread awareness of this fabric to the rest of Afro-Eurasia. During the Industrial

Revolution, silk fell out of fashion due to the rise of cotton manufacturing; however, it has since

made a comeback due to its lightweight and temperature-regulating properties. In more recent

years, artificial fibers such as nylon have once again gained popularity over silk due to its ease of

production, and silk has once again become a luxury fabric.

Silk Making Process

Silk Worms and Thread Extraction

Silk comes from a variety of silk worms; specifically, it is made from their cocoons. A

female silk moth can lay up to 500 eggs, and after hatching, the eggs are transferred to a separate

room, where they mainly spend the rest of their time as worms eating. The silkworm diet consists

mainly of mulberry leaves; however, they can eat other types of plant matter. When the worms

are ready, they start forming their cocoons and are left to their own devices for 3–8 days. This

process is called sericulture. When the cocoons are ready, they are placed in boiling water to

loosen the threads and kill the worms. The threads are carefully extracted into individual long

strands and wound on a reel.

Spinning and Weaving

 3

Now that extraction is complete, the next step is to spin the silk. The process of spinning

silk is a bit different than that of other fibers because of its length and thinness. The silk threads

are twisted and joined at the ends; they do not break because the twist makes each thread

stronger. The amount of twist depends on the type of fabric it is being used for. Silk is woven in a

very similar way to other fibers, but everything is a bit more delicate. The most common weave

structures for silk are the satin weave, plain weave, and open weave.

Dyeing and Printing

Although it is possible to dye silk after it has been made into a fabric, many

manufacturers opt to dye it when it is still thread. The silk is completely submerged in a dye bath

and left until the color completely soaks into the fiber. To have silk fabric with a specific pattern

or design, the fabric is printed. Both methods of printing use essentially the same process. Digital

printing uses a textile printer to transfer hand-drawn or digital artwork onto silk with a variety of

inks. Screen printing is generally more hands-on and traditional and can sometimes produce a

bolder and more vibrant final product.

Finishing

Finishing is what gives silk the sheen that it is most commonly known for and the desired

look and feel that many hope to find when shopping for silk products. Silk finishing is usually

done with chemical products, which can apply a variety of qualities to the final silk product. A

few common finishes include something to make the silk fire-resistant and crease-proof.

Ethical Issues

The biggest issue most have with silk is that, in order for it to be made traditionally, the

silkworms must die. In conventional modern silk production, the process also uses a lot of

artificial chemicals. The silkworm is boiled alive inside the cocoon to get the longest fiber
 4

(Steele). Some silk manufacturers have found a way around this by letting the fully grown silk

moths emerge from their cocoons by themselves, producing a shorter thread but ultimately the

same end result in the fabric (Steele). It should be noted that silk moths do not live for much

longer than a week after hatching, even in nature, and therefore letting them live, while it is

undeniably more ethical, is a bit of a waste. Scientists are not entirely sure that silk moths feel

pain, though through testing, it has become more and more likely that they do (Polly).

Oftentimes, workers are underpaid and not operating in ideal environments, and there are quite a

few children illegally working in silk factories (Polly). Silk also requires a lot of energy and

materials throughout the entire process, from the food for the worms to keeping the factories at

optimal temperatures so that the silk does not become unusable (Farr).

Alternatives

There are a few vegan alternatives to conventional silk, some of which are acquired

through a process that doesn’t require the worms to die; others which are completely vegan.

Peace silk is the silk discussed above, where the moths are allowed to emerge from their cocoons

before harvesting. For this type of silk, the worms could either be bred in captivity for harvesting

or go out into open forests to find and harvest the discarded cocoons from wild silk moths

(Astoul). Silk can also be recycled, and many people choose this option for its eco-friendly

nature! Some people are still uncomfortable with wearing something that came from an animal,

and luckily the silk industry has found a way to get around this. There are a few plant silks that

are used in modern clothing, although most are even more expensive than normal silk. Lotus silk

is the oldest and most-well known of the silk alternatives due to its long history throughout

China (Astoul). Banana silk and pineapple silk are made as byproducts of the fruit industry, so

they are by far the most eco-friendly of the plant silks. There is also cactus silk made from a
 5

specific type of succulent plant (Astoul). Bolt Threads uses yeast, water, and sugar to somewhat

accurately emulate spider silk, a very strong fiber that has a tensile strength of roughly 1.3 GPa,

only about 0.3 GPa less than solid steel!

 6

Bibliography

Astoul, Eva. “Silk: How Ethical and Sustainable Is It? (& Better Alternatives to Choose by

Instead).” Sustainably Chic, 23 Jan. 2023, www.sustainably-chic.com/blog/what-is-silk.

Biddle Sawyer Silks. “How Is Silk Made? A Step by Step Guide.” Biddle Sawyer Silks, 29 Aug.

2019, biddlesawyersilks.com/how-is-silk-made-a-step-by-step-guide/.

Commerce, Diligent. “What Is Vegan Silk, and Why Should You Wear It?” Immaculate Vegan,

18 May 2023,

immaculatevegan.com/blogs/magazine/what-is-vegan-silk-and-why-should-you-wear-it.

Egglestone, Ryan. “Silk-Making Is an Ancient Practice That Presents an Ethical Dilemma.”

Discover Magazine, 12 Jan. 2021,

www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/silk-making-is-an-ancient-practice-that-present

s-an-ethical-dilemma.

Farr, Alexis. “Material Guide: Is Silk Sustainable?” Good on You, 3 Oct. 2018,

goodonyou.eco/is-silk-sustainable/.

“History of Silk.” Www.thelightshadestudio.co.uk,

www.thelightshadestudio.co.uk/Useful-Info/History-of-Silk.

Jackson, Fabian. “Allplants | How Is Silk Made, and Is It Vegan?” Allplants.com,

allplants.com/blog/lifestyle/how-is-silk-made-and-is-it-vegan#.

manonbertens. “How Is Silk Made? A Guide to Silk Production.” Lalouette, 18 Sept. 2019,

lalouettesilk.com/blog/how-is-silk-made/#:~:text=5.-. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Miller, Nick. “How Silk Is Made.” Discovery UK, 1 July 2022,

www.discoveryuk.com/how-its-made/how-silk-is-made/.
 7

Polly. “What’s Wrong with (Peace) Silk?” Www.shoplikeyougiveadamn.com, 13 June 2023,

www.shoplikeyougiveadamn.com/blogs/whats-wrong-with-peace-silk/bl-356#.

Recovo. “What Is Silk and How Is It Made? Everything You Need to Know.” Recovo, 19 May

2023, recovo.co/blog/what-is-silk-and-how-is-it-made-everything-you-need-to-know/#.

second9. “How Is Silk Made? Traditional & Modern Methods.” Home with Milly, 24 July 2023,

homewithmilly.com/how-is-silk-made/. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Steele, Stephanie. “Ethical Silk Fabrics and What the Complex Terminology Really Means.” The

Sustainable Fashion Collective, 13 Mar. 2021,

www.the-sustainable-fashion-collective.com/2021/03/13/pre-order-ethical-silks-what-co

mplex-terminology-really-means.