If you have shopped for silk for more than five minutes, you have seen the number: 6mm, 12mm, 14mm, 16mm. It appears in almost every silk listing, yet few suppliers explain it. That figure is the momme weight, and it is the single most useful number on a silk specification sheet.
Momme - abbreviated mm, pronounced "mom-ee" - is a traditional unit of silk weight, not thickness. One momme is roughly 4.34 grams per square metre. In practice, the higher the number, the more silk fibre is in the cloth: heavier, more opaque, more durable, and more costly.
Here is what the common weights actually feel like:
6–8mm - sheer and weightless. Used for floaty ribbons, veil-like wraps, and summer pieces where drape matters more than coverage.
12mm - the workhorse. Opaque enough to wear, light enough to knot comfortably. Most classic printed squares sit here.
14mm - noticeably more body. The fabric holds a fold, resists creasing, and takes print colour with greater depth. This is our standard for silk twill squares.
16mm and above - substantial, with a dense and fluid drape. Reserved for gift-grade pieces and luxury ranges.
The mistake buyers make is assuming higher is always better. A 22mm scarf is beautiful, but it is too heavy to knot at the neck for most of the year, and the cost can push a collection out of its price band. Match the weight to the use, not to a number.
As a rule of thumb: lightweights for summer and layering, 12–14mm for year-round core styles, and 16mm+ when the scarf is meant to feel like a gift.
We weave and finish from 6mm to 22mm in-house. Tell us the season, the size, and your target price point, and we will tell you honestly which weight gets you there - including where spending more would not show.
