HOW TO SELECT SILKS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 105, 11 March 1879, Page 2

HOW TO SELECT SILKS.

A good silk should possess three particular qualities; it should he soft, smooth, and lustrous. The better the silk the softer it will be, provided, of course, that it is closely woven, and not of a thin flimsy nature. The readiest test of this quality is to sharply gather the material into folds across the width, and observe the angles produced. It the material be of good quality the folds will be soft in outline, but if these break into hard and sharp protecting points, the sample should be at once rejected. It is a very instructive experiment in this particular to take in one hand a piece of flannel, and gather it up as before described ; the folds will be round and soft; if a piece of newspaper or brown paper bo then gathered together in a similar manner, it will be observed that a number of very sharp projections will be found, of which particular notice should be taken. Incase of silk, if the angles are formed in the samples they will also occur in the dress wliich is made of the samo material; and whenever this takes place the delicate fibres of silk will be made. Any one who has used silk umbrellas will remember that tho first sign of cracking into holes appears in the sparpest folds, and the reason is that given above. Besides this test of softness, that of perfect smoothness should bo applied. The material should be perfectly equal in thickness, and present in irregularities of surface. This is best discovered by passing the fabric between the thumkf and fore-finger, when any imperfection ijSL this particular will be manifest. An ex-fl perienced person will be able to determine the quality of silk by this test alono, but to do so requires considerable practice. One of the chief characteristics of silk is its brillian gloss, and the lack of this 'feature in this material) is a sure sign of its inferior quality. It is true that a kind of fictitious gloss is often imparted to a common quality of silk ; but this is easily distinguished from the natural lustre which it ought to possess.