Material

Satin Weave

What it is

Satin is a weave in which long floats run across the surface with very few tie-down points, producing the highest shine of any common construction. It says nothing about what the threads are made of. Silk satin, polyester satin and nylon satin are all satin. In bedding the fabric is most often a polyester filament, because filament is what holds that particular shine, but that is a general fact about the category and not a statement about any specific set. The one satin listing in this catalog names the weave and does not name the fiber, so this site records the fiber as unstated.

How it is made

The loom is set so a warp or weft thread passes over four or more opposing threads before going under one. Filament yarn, which is continuous rather than spun from short lengths, gives the smoothest and most reflective result, which is why satin bedding is usually filament polyester rather than a spun fiber.

When it is wet

If the fiber is polyester, water sits on the surface and the fabric dries quickly, and the shine survives washing well. Satin marks visibly where it has been wet, because water disturbs the direction the floats lie in. A satin pillowcase pulled out of a machine in a tangle comes out with lines in it that need heat or time to relax.

When it is hot

A smooth surface with very little texture between you and it, over a fiber that does not absorb. That combination reads as cool at first touch and can read as clammy over a full night, depending on how much you sweat. Neither of those is a specification, and no test backs either statement.

After fifty washes

The floats are the whole problem. Anything abrasive catches them, and a pulled float is permanent. Satin survives washing chemically without much trouble and fails mechanically instead: snags, pulls and worn shine along the edges where the fabric folds. Wash it in a bag if you want the shine to last.