SILK vs SATIN

Why silk?

Silk is a natural protein fibre, spun by the silkworm as it builds its cocoon.¹ Once it has been prepared and woven, the first thing you notice is the surface. It's smooth under your hand, soft against your cheek, and it has that gentle lustre that catches the light at the end of the bed.

Those qualities are lovely in a blouse. On a pillow they become practical. Your hair and face spend most of the night pressed against whatever you sleep on, shifting a little every time you turn over, so the surface underneath you deserves some thought. Silk gives you a smooth, natural one.

This is our closer look at the fibre: what it does well, what the research can and can't tell us, and why we chose it for The Sunday Morning Set.

Silk and your hair

Every strand of hair is wrapped in a cuticle, a layer of overlapping scales that lie flat like tiles on a roof. Dermatology reviews describe friction and abrasion, from brushing, styling and everyday handling, as one of the things that slowly wears this layer down. Over time that wear can show up as roughness, tangles, frizz and split ends.²

A night's sleep is a quieter version of the same thing. Your hair moves against the pillowcase for hours, so a smooth, low-snag surface makes sense, especially after a fresh blowout, a treatment or a wash day spent defining your curls, or when you're looking after extensions.

We want to be straight with you about the evidence. The link between friction and wear on the hair fibre is well described, but we couldn't find independent, published trials that put silk pillowcases on real sleepers and measured breakage. Most of the numbers you'll see online come from brands testing their own products. So we won't promise that silk stops breakage, split ends, frizz or hair loss. What it does give your hair is a smooth, gentle surface to rest on, which is exactly what you want when you're taking care of it.

That's why the set comes as three pieces. The scrunchie puts your hair up before bed without the pull of a tight elastic. The bonnet keeps it contained and off your face overnight. The pillowcase gives anything that escapes, and your skin, somewhere soft to land.

Silk and your skin

If you take your time over a skincare routine at night, it's natural to care about what your face rests on for the next eight hours. Silk has a smooth, fluid feel against the cheek, and plenty of people simply find it a more comfortable place to sleep.

Research on skin and fabric shows that friction between the two depends on the fabric's surface and, very strongly, on how moist the skin is. In one study, friction between skin and a dry textile rose steadily as skin hydration increased, and more than doubled when the fabric itself was wet.³⁴ How warmth and moisture build up in the thin layer between your skin and your bedding, sometimes called the skin's microclimate, is part of what shapes how comfortable a fabric feels. Silk is a protein fibre, so its surface and the way it behaves with moisture are different from a plant fibre like cotton or a synthetic like polyester.⁵

What silk isn't is a skin treatment. A silk pillowcase won't clear acne, prevent wrinkles or treat eczema, and it can't promise you better hydrated skin. The research on silk and eczema mostly involves specially made medical silk garments, and even there the picture is mixed. A smaller study of one specialised silk fabric reported improvements in children's eczema, while the largest independent trial, involving 300 children, found that silk clothing added no benefit to standard care.⁶⁷ Those studies are about medical clothing, not everyday pillowcases, so we don't borrow their results.

If your skin is sensitive, it's worth knowing that no ordinary bedding fabric is allergy-proof. Allergic reactions to textiles are uncommon, but silk is a protein, and some people do react to silk proteins, particularly sericin, the natural gum that surrounds the raw fibre.¹⁸ Everyone's skin is different, so go gently and listen to yours.

A natural fibre with its own character

Each silk filament is made of two proteins. Fibroin forms the strong inner core, and sericin is a gum that coats it and is largely removed when the silk is prepared for weaving.¹ Silk is reeled as a long, continuous filament, which is part of why a good woven silk feels so even under the hand and why it has its soft, characteristic sheen.

Many people find silk pleasantly temperate to sleep on, but we'd never promise it will keep you cool every night of the year. Comfort overnight depends on much more than the fibre. The weave and weight of the fabric, your duvet and sleepwear, the temperature of your bedroom and your own body all play a part.⁵ Construction matters too. One dermatology review notes that ordinary silk fabric made for clothing can limit the passage of moisture away from the skin, which is why the specialised silks used in eczema research are knitted differently.⁹

What makes our silk different

Every piece in The Sunday Morning Set is made from 100% mulberry silk at 22 momme, and our supplier grades the silk as 6A.

Momme (say it "mommy") is the traditional way of describing silk by its weight, not by thread count. The higher the number, the more silk goes into each square metre of fabric. At 22 momme, ours is a substantial silk with a fuller, weightier feel than the lighter silks often used for scarves and linings. Momme alone doesn't decide quality, though. The filament, the weave, the dyeing and the sewing all matter just as much.

6A is the grade our supplier gives the raw silk used in our fabric. It describes the filament before it's woven. It's the supplier's own classification rather than an independent certification, so we've shared it exactly as it was described to us.

Silk costs more than most bedding fabrics for honest reasons. It's a natural fibre that takes time and care to produce, a 22 momme fabric simply uses more silk than a lighter one, and a pillowcase, a bonnet and a scrunchie mean three pieces to cut, sew and finish. That's what you're paying for in the set.

Why silk is worth it

The Sunday Morning Set is for you if you already put real thought into your hair. The cut, the colour, the treatment, the serum, the blowout booked for Friday. The hours you spend asleep belong to that routine too, and silk lets you give them the same care.

What you're investing in is a natural fibre with a smooth, soft surface, woven at a substantial 22 momme and made into three pieces that work together. The scrunchie is where the ritual begins: hair up gently at the end of the day, without the crease and tug of a tight elastic. The bonnet holds everything in place while you sleep. The pillowcase looks after the rest, hair and skin included.

Three pieces, one night, and a little more care for the hair you've invested in.

We make a satin set too, because we believe a good overnight habit should be within everyone's reach. Our founder has written about why in the Journal. This page is about silk, for the nights you'd like to go all in on natural fibre. If that sounds like you, this is the set we made for you.

Caring for your silk

Our silk set is hand wash only. Wash each piece gently by hand, as noted in the care details for the set. Silk is a delicate protein fibre, and a little gentleness keeps it lovely for longer.

There's a practical reason the set includes both a bonnet and a pillowcase. While one is drying, the other has you covered, so your hair always has something to sleep in.

Not sure about something? Email us at hello@mysundaymorningclub.store and we'll help you look after your set.