What is momme?
Understanding momme, the unit that indicates the weight and density of a silk fabric.
Momme is the unit used to express the weight of a silk fabric. It helps you understand whether a cloth will be light or dense, supple or more structured. It is a particularly useful reference when choosing a silk scarf.
What does momme mean for silk?
Momme, often abbreviated as mm, is a unit traditionally used to measure the weight of silk fabrics.
For the same surface area, a 16-momme silk contains more material than a 12-momme silk. It will therefore generally be denser, heavier and more opaque.
The momme number thus indicates the fabric’s lightness, body and density.
How is momme measured?
The term momme comes from an old Japanese unit of weight, still used today to express the weight of silk fabrics.
Traditionally, momme corresponds to the weight of a piece of silk measuring 45 inches wide by 100 yards long. If that piece weighs 12 pounds, the fabric is considered a 12-momme silk.
In the metric system, 1 momme corresponds to approximately 4.34 g/m².
This gives, approximately: 12 momme: 52 g/m²; 16 momme: 69 g/m²; 19 momme: 82 g/m².
Momme therefore works a little like the fabric weight used for other textiles: it lets you compare the weight of the same surface area of cloth.
Which momme should you choose for a silk scarf?
For a scarf, the right momme number depends above all on the balance you are looking for between lightness, suppleness and body.
For a large square, a twill of around 12 momme creates a light, supple cloth that is pleasant to wear and easy to tie, while retaining enough body.
This is the choice we made at Soie de Siam for our squares: 12-momme silk twill, to retain a scarf that feels light, fluid and alive when worn.
Heavier weights create a denser cloth that feels more present in the hand. They are not necessarily better: the choice depends above all on the effect you are looking for.
Does a higher momme count mean better silk?
No. The momme count indicates above all the weight and density of the fabric, not its quality.
A 22-momme silk contains more material than a 12-momme silk, but it is not necessarily better. Quality also depends on the fineness and regularity of the fibres, the weave, dyeing, printing and finishing.
The right momme depends above all on its use. For a scarf, a lighter silk may be preferable for preserving suppleness and beautiful drape, while a higher weight is better suited to uses such as pillowcases or more structured garments.
