Silk Dupioni… Unraveling the Mystery

April 17, 2015March 24, 2019 / Adam Lid / Leave a comment

Silk was one the primary fabrics utilized in period fashions during the 19th Century and early 20th Century and over the years, a lot of mystery and downright misinformation has grown in regard to this beautiful and useful fabric. One question that always seems to arise is: “What is Dupioni silk?”

Contrary to popular belief, it’s NOT some sort of fancy Italian silk fabric that was developed for haute couture houses in Milan nor is it some sort of manufactured fiber along the lines of nylon or polyester. Really. 🙂

No, in reality Dupioni silk is nothing more than silk filament that’s produced when two silk worms spin their cocoon together (sometimes this is referred to as a “double cocoon”). When the silk filament is by reeling (“reeling” is the process of unwinding the raw silk filaments from the cocoon), the resulting filament, is irregular and so is the spun yarn; ultimately, this irregularity shows up on the silk as irregular “slubs”.

Side by side comparison of regular silk yarn on the left vs Dupioni silk yarn on the right.

OK, that all sounds good but there’s still more to keep in mind! As part of the weaving process that converts silk yarns into silk fabric, the uneven/irregular Dupioni yarns are used as fill yarn while thinner, regular straight silk yarns are used for warp yarn. The Dupioni yarns are too weak to be used for the warp since the warp yarns are under constant tension during the weaving process. When looking at a piece of Dupioni fabric, you can easily tell what direction is the grain because the grain will always be running perpendicular to the slubs. Another tip-off is that warp yarns tend to be thinner and run parallel to each.

Below is a swatch of Dupioni fabric where the warp yarns are actually salmon/pink. Dupioni is a balanced plain weave (i.e., there are an equal amount of yarns interlaced one over the other) fabric but the actual Dupioni yarns are more thick, thus they are more apparent and dominate the color of the fabric. If you look closely, you can see a hint of the pink/salmon.

Here is a swatch of Dupioni fabric that’s been diagrammed. Note that the warp yarns travel from top to bottom while the fill yarns run from left to right. The grain would be running up and down while the selvage edge would be to the left and right. This may sound somewhat simplistic but it makes all the difference when sewing and you do not have a selvage edge that you can look at.

Diagram of plain weave fabric.

Below are a few samples of Dupioni silk fabric:

This is a good example where the slubs are visible.

Bolts of finished Dupioni silk fabric. Note that the selvage edges are on the bottom of these two bolts and that the slubs follow in a line towards the selvage. The grain would be running perpendicular.

OK, now you’re probably wondering how Dupioni silk is different than silk Shantung since both exhibit the characteristic slubs…well, not much (besides having been originally made in the province of Shantung in China) depending what you read. 🙂

From a visual perspective, there is not much of a real difference except that the slubs tend to be somewhat less prominent. Also, Dupioni is hand woven while Shantung is machine woven. Shantung also takes advantage of the fact that when initially reeled, raw silk filament tends to be somewhat irregular in texture and as such is directly used with little further processing. However, as with Dupioni, it’s only used as fill yarn while the warp yarns are more refined.

Dupioni take dying very well and is available in a wide variety of colors and effects. Often two different colors of warp and fill yarns are used and in some cases, different color yarns can be used in either the warp or fill. Also, Dupioni is wrinkle resistant.

At Lily Absinthe, we use quite a lot of Dupioni AND Shantung silk in our designs, either in part or in whole and it forms some of the basic fabrics we use. Below are just two examples:

Dupioni:

Here’s a recent commission made from a high quality pale blue Dupioni.

Shantung:

The front solid panel, the pleating, and the faux skirt front are made from Dupioni. The stripped silk on the bodice is a silk taffeta and the ruffles in the rear of the skirt are a silk charmuese.

The front solid panel, the pleating, and the faux weskit front are made from silk Shantung. The stripped silk on the bodice is a silk taffeta and the ruffles in the rear of the skirt are a silk charmuese.

The Bustle Dress – A Brief Overview, Part 2

April 15, 2015February 13, 2019 / Adam Lid / 5 Comments

We continue on with our brief survey of the bustle dress and today we’re going to discuss the Mid-Bustle Era or years from 1877 through roughly 1882. Compared to the large, overstuffed and somewhat chaotic-looking bustles of the early 1870s, the Mid-Bustle Era was a direct contrast, acting in reaction to the excesses of the previous period.

The most striking characteristic is that now the profile is much slimmer, with just a vestigial hint of a bustle, and a general lengthening of the bodice creating a more slimming, upright appearance. The end result is a sculpted silhouette that in many ways is reminiscent of a Classical Grecian statue (of course, aided by the corset).

Below are just a few examples of the Mid-Bustle Era dress and in each of them, you can discern a much reduced bustle:

French, 1879; Metropolitan Museum of Art (C.I.51.23.1a–c)

Wedding dress, c. 1878; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.18a, b)

Wedding dress, American c. 1878; Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009.300.18a, b)

Here are two more pictures of the above dress from the front and side:

: Front View

: Side View

The example below depicts a more extreme version of this trend with almost no bustle whatsoever and an extremely elongated cuirass bodice.

Day Dress, c. 1875 – 1880.

Another excellent example showing the sleek, upright style characterized by the cuirass bodice combined with a near-elimination of the bustle. For further inspiration, some fashion plates from 1877:

Some final observations- although the rear silhouette has become significantly reduced, many dresses, even day dresses still featured trains. Naturally, one has to question whether or not this represented a fashion ideal and if the train was eliminated for more practical walking.

In contrast with what came before and what will come after, the Middle Bustle Era represents a short-lived moment in the broader fashion trends of the period from 1870 through 1890. While it is tempting to thing that this marked the decline of the bustle, that was not to be for another ten years or so in the early 1890s. However, while the bustle may have had its moment, it will always remain immortal in the eyes of Lily Absinthe.

Next: The Late Bustle Era from the early 1880s through 1890.

Visions of Yellow

April 4, 2015April 8, 2019 / Karin McKechnie-Lid / 1 Comment

My backyard has always been inspired by Monet’s Giverny paintings. I don’t require garden perfection, but I enjoy a bit of overgrowth, painted furniture in pale teal, blousy climbing vines, and yellow roses. I sit here several times a day with the terriers, enjoy a bit of peace, and sketch out ideas.

I spend several hours a week in downtown Los Angeles and mid-city in my search for the perfect fabrics for our business. Some projects require “stock” fabrics, like solid silks or wools, others budgets ask for a bit of sleuthing…and let me tell you, I am bored with what’s out there. The Fabric District has been sterile, unless one is a crafter…which I am not.

Deciding to skip downtown disappointment, I shook up my usual fabric safari and called a close friend and met up at some no-name fabric warehouse that was closing. This is the sort of place I usually avoid, (I lecture that “you get what you pay for”) but sometimes a change of pace is required.

Smells, dirt, pushy people, this place was predictable . I was ready to give up and then…there it was, my perfect Monet Yellow. It was hidden behind other heavy rolls, so I shamelessly dug it out, drug it over to the window to check it out in the natural light, and started to do the yardage math in my head shared with strains of Handel’s “Messiah”.

It was a good day. We both bought fabric. We shared some girl-designer time at Starbucks, compared ideas, went home inspired, and realized that sometimes amazing fabrics come from humble places.

It takes a pleat, but softly. It rips cleanly on the grain. The fill threads are white, so it has a slight lustre. Twenty four yards of corsets, new dresses, and beautiful bedroom drapes.

I can see a summer 1870s gown in this walking through a painting on a pebbled path. Claude M would approve.

The warp threads easily slide away to create a self-fringe, another test I have for a “perfect fabric”. Adam (hereafter known as: ” Charlie Worth) has taken a piece, tested it, and declared it a rayon/acrylic blend. It feels like the beautiful old rayons (when they were called “imitation silks”) of the 30s.

It’s a very good day. I’ve found a dream fabric and I’m inspired again.

“I Do…Again!”

March 25, 2015May 26, 2015 / Karin McKechnie-Lid / Leave a comment

Special days require memorable gowns. Here’s a Lily Absinthe Couture Original in the style of the Parisian Salons of 1878 in antique silk brocade, champagne silk tulle, taffeta, and satin, handmade fleurs, silk bows, and an original Brussels Point De Gaze lace flounce, rare in this fine condition. She’s completely hand stitched except for the foundation seams, a treasure.