How to Shop for Thai Silk
Due to the prevalence of fakes and Thai silk of lower quality that are sold at inflated costs, shopping for silk in Thailand might be a bit of a gamble. “Silk sharks” can be purchased virtually everywhere, although tourist markets are where one is most likely to come across them. After reading this tutorial, you will have a fundamental grasp of Thai silk, which will equip you to make the most of your time spent shopping for this luxurious fabric.
I’ll explain the various kinds of thai silk flowerhorn textiles in a way that’s simple to comprehend, as well as how to recognize fake silk (buyer beware! ), the difference between excellent and poor silk, and, of course, the best places in The Kingdom to purchase silk fabric. My goal is to improve your understanding as a consumer by providing you with more information. You need to purchase with confidence, and the only way to achieve that is to increase your level of knowledge. If you have a fundamental awareness of some of silk’s properties, you will be able to enjoy and appreciate your purchase of silk even more. This is because you will be able to identify and appreciate its unique qualities.
Keep in mind that Thai silk fabric is the one thing that exemplifies traditional Thai culture more eloquently than anything else. Within the boundaries of the Kingdom of Thailand, this aspect of Thai culture is held in high regard and seen as an essential component.
The province of Surin is home to the village of Ban Ta-Sa-Wan, which is where the brocaded Thai silk dresses is woven. Brocade is a method that is used to produce patterns and textures, and it is a method that takes a high level of expertise in addition to patience. One way to create brocade is to weave it. Silk is hand-woven into some of the most expensive and sumptuous fabric in the world using traditional looms made of wood that are found in the rural parts of Thailand. It is generally agreed that the Esaan 1 region, which is located in the north-eastern part of Thailand, is the most important place for silk weaving. In this region of Thailand, there are a number of small communities that regularly produce their own silk, and the women of these villages weave the silk into a lovely cloth. In addition, the provinces of Chiang Mai and Lamphun, which are found in the north, are known for producing silk of a very high quality. Members of Thailand’s royal family would customarily dress in garments made of Lamphun silk.
Thai silk pattern is woven on traditional wooden looms that are centuries old and have been passed down from mother to daughter, along with the skills necessary to weave over the course of several generations. There are looms that can be quite little, and there are other looms that can reach a height of thirty feet and need three persons to operate them.
These vintage looms include foot pedals that allow the weaver to raise and lower the warp. The warp is the term for the threads that run vertically. This makes it possible to manually feed the weft through using a shuttle, which refers to the threads that run horizontally across the fabric. These simple looms are able to produce a broad variety of complicated weaves as a result of the several different methods that Thai weavers have developed over the course of many decades.
The Feminine World as Depicted in Thai Silk
In Thailand, a woman’s place in the workforce has historically been in the weaving of silk. Since I started working in the silk trade more than three decades ago, my “silk safaris” have taken me all throughout Esaan and the Northern area. During those excursions, I came across an incredible number of village weavers, and without fail, every single one of them was a female. My imagination has never taken me to a place where I can see a man sitting at a loom and weaving something.
Women in Thailand are responsible for the entire “cycle” of the manufacturing of Thai silk, including not just the weaving process but also the other processes involved. The care of the silkworms, which will eventually produce cocoons made of silk, falls primarily on the shoulders of the women of Thailand. After this step, the filament of silk that has been taken from the cocoons is boiled, and then it is wound onto a reel. Silk thread is the end product when all is said and done. They are accountable for coloring the silk as well as developing and choosing the patterns that will be used for the fabric. Small village businesses and cooperatives, which are often owned and maintained by women, are the most common places where silk can be found for sale.
It is customarily the mothers of the family who teach their daughters the techniques of weaving with silk to their daughters, rather than the dads teaching their sons.