How to Care for Silk Clothing and a Silk Dress
Caring for a silk dress, blouse or slip comes down to the same gentle logic as any silk: wash it cool, treat it kindly, and never expose it to heat or harshness. In practice that means hand-washing (or a cool delicate machine cycle in a mesh bag) with a mild, pH-neutral detergent, no wringing, drying flat or on a padded hanger out of the sun, and steaming rather than hot-ironing the creases out. The one thing garments add over a flat pillowcase is shape: simple slip dresses, camisoles and blouses wash beautifully at home, while structured or lined pieces — a tailored dress, a silk suit — may genuinely need dry-cleaning. As ever, the care label has the final word. Here's the full routine.
How to care for silk clothing
The core rules are reassuringly few, and they apply to almost everything silk you'll wear. Always check the care label first, then default to gentleness: cool water, a mild detergent made for silk or delicates, no bleach, no fabric softener, no tumble dryer, no direct sun. Wash silk on its own or with other delicates, never with zips, denim or towels that could snag it. Most everyday silk clothing — slips, camisoles, blouses, simple dresses — is happy to be hand-washed; the more tailored, lined or embellished a piece is, the more a professional clean becomes the safer choice. Get those basics right and silk is far less demanding than its reputation suggests.
How to wash a silk dress or blouse
For simple, unlined silk garments, hand-washing is gentlest and easy:
- Fill a basin with cool water (below 30°C) and a little pH-neutral or silk detergent.
- Submerge the garment and swish it gently for a few minutes — don't scrub, twist or wring.
- Rinse in clean cool water until it runs clear.
- Press the water out by rolling the piece in a clean towel; never wring a silk dress.
- Dry flat or on a padded hanger, away from heat and direct sun.
If you'd rather use the machine, a tightly-woven silk piece can take a cold delicate cycle inside a mesh bag — but for anything fragile, structured or lined, hand-wash or, if the label insists, dry-clean it instead.
Drying and de-wrinkling silk garments
Dry silk clothing flat or on a padded hanger in a shaded, airy spot — a wire hanger can leave shoulder bumps, and sun fades the colour. Smooth the garment into shape while it's damp and most creases fall out as it dries. For the rest, steam rather than press: a handheld steamer or the steam of a hot shower relaxes wrinkles without risk, and it's far safer than a hot iron on a delicate dress. If you must iron, use the lowest silk setting, inside out, with a pressing cloth — the full method is in how to get wrinkles out of silk.
How to store silk clothes
Storage is where good silk is quietly lost or kept. Hang structured pieces — dresses, blouses, slips — on padded or wooden hangers so they keep their shape, and fold heavier knits rather than letting them stretch on a hanger. Store everything somewhere cool, dry and dark: sunlight fades silk, damp invites mildew, and moths are drawn to natural protein fibres, so a breathable garment bag (never airtight plastic, which traps moisture) and the odd cedar block are worth it for anything precious. Make sure silk is fully dry and clean before storing — body oils and damp are what cause yellowing and attract pests over time.
Everyday wear: what to do and avoid
A few habits keep silk clothing looking its best between washes. Let perfume, deodorant and moisturiser dry fully before dressing, since alcohol and antiperspirant can stain or weaken silk over time. Treat spills quickly and gently — blot, don't rub, and see how to remove stains from silk for sweat, deodorant and makeup marks. Avoid bleach, harsh detergents and rough surfaces or jewellery that could snag the weave. And don't over-wash: silk often just needs airing rather than a full wash, which is kinder to the fabric and keeps it lasting. It's all the same gentle logic set out in our silk care guide.
If you'd like silk clothing made to reward this kind of care, our LS Silk NZ silk dresses and silk loungewear are 100% mulberry silk — beautiful to wear, and easy to look after once you know how.
Silk clothing isn't fussy so much as gentle-natured: give it cool water, a soft hand, a padded hanger and a shaded spot, and a good silk dress will drape and shine for years. Treat it the way it likes to be treated, and the only hard part is deciding when to wear it.