By Oliver Charles Harry - Founder and Creative Director of Ghini Como, a silk scarf brand based in Argegno, Lake Como
Quick facts: silk twill
- Twill is a weave construction defined by a pattern in which each weft thread passes over one or more warp threads and then under two or more warp threads, with the interlacing points offset by one thread on each successive pass to produce a characteristic diagonal rib on the fabric surface
- Silk twill is distinct from silk satin and silk charmeuse in that its diagonal weave structure produces a fabric with greater structural integrity, higher resistance to snagging, and superior knot-holding capacity - all of which make it the correct specification for a scarf worn in daily use
- Hermès has used silk twill at 18 momme for its classic carré scarves since the 1930s; the combination of the twill weave and the momme weight is what allows a Hermès scarf to hold a knot cleanly, accept complex printed designs with colour precision, and remain in daily use for decades
- The diagonal rib produced by the twill weave creates a surface that refracts light at multiple angles simultaneously, contributing to the characteristic depth of sheen in a printed silk twill scarf that flat-weave and satin-weave alternatives do not replicate
- Silk twill is woven with different ratios of warp floats to weft interlacings - the most common for scarves is a 2/1 or 3/1 twill construction, referring to the number of threads passed over and under per repeat
What is silk twill? The weave behind the world's most luxurious scarves
Most buyers of silk scarves know that twill is the standard weave for luxury scarves without understanding what twill actually is or why the choice of weave structure matters at all.
Well, in this article we will explain what silk twill actually is, why it is so popular among scarf brands and how it differs from other types of silk construction.
In my opinion, one of the most interesting aspect of silk scarves is the noticeable differences between the various types of silk construction.
When I first felt a silk twill scarf, I was surprised by how much body it had. It held its shape impressively well, and was thicker than I was initially expecting - especially so when compared to crepe de chine or silk satin.
What makes silk twill special is the specific way the threads interlace in a twill weave, which determines the diagonal rib visible on its surface, the drape of the finished fabric, its resistance to snagging and distortion in use, its capacity to hold a knot through a full day of wear, and the clarity with which printed colours read on the ground fabric.
These properties are the direct result of the weave's geometry, and they explain why silk twill has been the construction of choice for luxury scarves for most of the twentieth century.
Now, let's dive in.
How twill weave works: the geometry of the diagonal
A woven fabric is constructed from two sets of threads: the warp, which runs longitudinally along the length of the loom, and the weft, which passes transversely across it. The pattern in which weft threads interlace with warp threads is the weave structure, and different structures produce fundamentally different fabric properties.
In a plain weave - the simplest construction - each weft thread passes alternately over and under successive warp threads, producing a balanced, relatively stiff fabric with a regular, uniform surface texture.
In a satin weave, weft threads pass over multiple warp threads before interlacing, concentrating the thread surface on one face of the fabric and creating the characteristic high-lustre finish of satin.
Twill weave occupies a structurally distinct position between these two constructions.
Each weft thread passes over one or more warp threads and then under two or more, with the critical feature that the interlacing point shifts one thread position on each successive weft pass. This progressive offset is what creates the diagonal line - the twill line or twill rib - that is the defining visual characteristic of the weave.
The angle and prominence of this diagonal varies with the ratio of the weave: a 2/1 twill (over two, under one) produces a steeper, more pronounced rib than a 3/1 twill (over three, under one), which has a shallower angle and a smoother surface because a higher proportion of the thread lies on the face of the fabric.
Why twill is the correct weave for a silk scarf
The practical superiority of twill over other weave constructions for a scarf used in daily wear follows directly from the geometry described above.
The diagonal interlacing pattern produces a fabric that is denser and more dimensionally stable than plain weave at equivalent thread counts, because the longer warp floats give the fabric greater capacity to absorb stress without the weave structure distorting.
When a silk scarf is tied into a knot at the neck and worn through the course of a day - expanding and contracting with movement, subject to friction from a coat collar, retied when the wearer adjusts it - the weave structure is under continuous low-level mechanical stress.
A plain weave fabric tends to show this stress through thread displacement and surface distortion over time. Twill distributes the stress along the diagonal rib and recovers more completely when the stress is removed.
The same diagonal structure that produces this dimensional stability also produces superior drape. The longer interlacing sequences in a twill weave allow the fabric to move more freely between the interlacing points, giving it a fluid, responsive drape quality that makes it fall well when knotted and recover its form when untied.
This is why twill-woven silk feels different from plain-woven silk even when the fibre content and momme weight are identical - the weave itself changes the mechanical behaviour of the fabric.
Silk twill and printed design: why the surface matters
For a printed silk scarf, the choice of weave construction directly affects the clarity and fidelity of the printed design.
The surface of a silk twill fabric is smoother and more uniform than plain weave at equivalent thread counts, because the longer warp floats in the twill reduce the number of interlacing points per unit area and produce a more uninterrupted surface for the print to sit on.
This matters when a design involves fine lines, precise colour registration at adjacent borders, or subtle tonal gradations - all of which are characteristics of high-quality Como silk printing.
The diagonal rib of the twill also interacts with light in a way that gives depth to printed colours. Because the surface of the fabric is angled relative to the viewer at a constant diagonal, the printed colour reads with a slight three-dimensional quality that flat-weave constructions do not produce.
This is part of the reason why a complex design printed on silk twill has a depth and richness that the same design printed on polyester satin does not replicate, even when the print quality and ink formulation are identical.
Momme weight and twill: the specification that defines luxury scarves
Twill weave and momme weight are the two technical specifications that together define the quality of a silk scarf in measurable terms.
Twill provides the weave structure; momme weight specifies the density of threads within that structure, expressed as the weight in pounds of a piece of fabric measuring 45 inches wide by 100 yards long.
At 12 to 14 momme, a silk twill scarf has sufficient thread density for the printed surface to be opaque, for the weave to hold its structure under daily use, and for the drape and handle to express the properties of silk fully.
Below 10 momme, the fabric is too light to knot cleanly or to display complex printed designs without the ground showing through.
At 18 momme - the weight Hermès uses for its carré scarves - the additional density produces a richer handle and a more substantial drape, and the combination of that weight with the twill construction is the technical basis for the longevity those scarves are known for.
All Ghini Como silk scarves are woven in silk twill at 14 momme, which is the specification at which you gain all the benefits of the twill weave - the drape, the knot retention, the surface quality for printing - without the scarf becoming too heavy to wear or expensive to buy.
Explore our full range of silk twill scarves here.
Oliver Charles Harry is the founder and creative director of Ghini Como, a luxury silk scarf brand sourcing silk entirely from the Province of Como, Italy. He lives in Argegno on the western shore of Lake Como.
