Supple, breathable, elegant. Few fabrics call to me the way silk does. I adore the feeling of slipping into a silky little number and feeling the softness glide over my skin. What’s much less enjoyable is caring for such a finicky fabric. So when washable silk came along, I was intrigued.
Here’s what made me want to test it properly. My two Reformation silk dresses cost $278 and $298, and both say dry clean only. My Lunya washable silk pajama set is $298, and it goes straight in the washer. My Quince washable silk pants were $92. Same fiber, similar weights, very different price tags and care labels.
So is washable silk actually good quality, or does it show its price? I pulled every silk piece out of my closet, felt them side by side, turned them inside out and looked hard at how each one has held up. Here’s what I found.
What You Need to Know About Washable Silk Quality
- It’s real silk. Every washable piece I own is 100% silk. Quince uses 100% mulberry silk, the same fiber as my dry-clean Reformation dresses.
- Same weight doesn’t mean same feel. My Quince skirt, pants and top and both Reformation dresses are all 19 momme, and they don’t feel alike at all.
- My best-wearing piece is also the least expensive. My Quince maxi skirt has been washed for almost three years with no snags and no pilling, and it still drapes beautifully.
- The pricier silk feels richer. Lunya feels almost velvety and Reformation is noticeably smoother. What I can’t tell you yet is whether either one lasts longer.
- Wrinkling is the real tradeoff. Washable silk comes out of the wash wrinkled, and some pieces need a steam before you can wear them out.
How I Judged Washable Silk Quality
I’ve written before about how to tell if clothing is good quality, so I used those same checks here. I looked at how each fabric feels and drapes, whether it pills or snags, how the seams and hems are finished, and how the color and sheen have held up.
| Piece | Price | Owned since | Weight | How I clean it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quince Washable Silk Maxi Skirt | Gifted | About 3 years | 19 momme | Delicate cycle, hang to dry |
| Quince Washable Silk Drawstring Wide Leg Pants | $92 | December 2025 | 19 momme | Delicate cycle, hang to dry |
| Quince Washable Silk Halter Top | $60 | December 2025 | 19 momme | Delicate cycle, hang to dry |
| Lunya Washable Silk Long Sleeve Pant Set | $298 | December 2025 | Not listed | Delicate cycle, dryer on delicate |
| Reformation Romi Silk Dress | $278 | August 2026 | 19mm charmeuse | Dry clean only (I’ve washed it, more on that below) |
| Reformation Helen Silk Dress | $298 | March 2026 | 19mm charmeuse | Dry clean only |
What Is Washable Silk, and Is It Real Silk?
Washable silk is real silk that’s been finished to handle water, so you can wash it at home on a gentle cycle instead of taking it to the dry cleaner. Brands don’t always explain exactly how they finish it, but the fiber is the same. My Quince pieces are 100% mulberry silk, and my Lunya tag says 100% silk.
Here’s something I learned while researching this piece: technically, most silk can be washed on a gentle cycle. Olga Vilkova (@itsolgavi) talks about this on Instagram, and a few other fabric experts I follow say the same. My own dry-clean-only Romi survived the delicate cycle just fine (more on that below). So why do so many labels say dry clean only? Often the brand is playing it safe, since dark dyes can bleed and lined or textured pieces can shrink unevenly. For me, that’s the real value of a “machine washable” label. It’s the brand telling me it has tested that fabric in the wash, and that gives me peace of mind.
It does feel a little different from traditional silk. My dry-clean Reformation dresses feel super smooth and light in my hand, while my Quince skirt feels slightly less soft next to them. I suspect that’s because it’s been through far more washes.
Mulberry Silk vs. Silk: Is One Better Quality?
Mulberry silk isn’t a different fabric. It’s silk from silkworms raised on mulberry leaves, and it’s the most common type of silk used in clothing. When a label says mulberry silk, read it as a more specific way of saying real silk, not a separate quality tier.
How to Tell If Silk Is High Quality (It’s Not Just Momme)
What Momme Tells You, and What It Doesn’t
Momme (often written “mm”) measures how heavy a silk fabric is. Higher numbers mean heavier, more opaque silk, and it’s often the first number people tell you to check.
Here’s what surprised me. Everything I own from Quince and Reformation is 19 momme, yet my Quince skirt feels weighted in a good way, and it drapes like it. My Quince pants feel light, almost too thin, like they aren’t substantial enough. Both Reformation dresses feel lighter and smoother than either one. Same number, three different feels.
So momme is a starting point, not the whole answer. The weave, the finish and the cut all change how silk feels and moves. A full maxi skirt simply has more fabric to swing than a pair of drawstring pants.
Charmeuse vs. Satin: Why the Weave Matters
Both of my Reformation dresses are silk charmeuse, a satin weave with a glossy face and a duller back. Quince describes its silk as mulberry silk satin. Satin is a weave, not a fiber, which matters a lot when you’re shopping (more on that below).
Construction Details to Check on Silk
Turn the piece inside out and look closely. My Helen dress has a separate sheer lining under the silk, which is why it felt slightly heavier in my hand. When I felt just the silk, it was as light and smooth as my blue Romi.
The Lunya top has contrast piping, fabric-covered buttons and neat topstitching, all small signs someone took care with it. On the other side of the ledger, my Romi has a pucker below the zipper at the hip that’s become more noticeable over time. I wrote about that one in my clothing quality guide, because no price tag guarantees perfect construction.
How to Tell If Silk Is Real
Check the tag for “100% silk.” A label that only says “satin” usually means polyester. Real silk warms up quickly in your hand, while polyester satin tends to stay cool and slick. And if a price seems too good for real silk, read the fiber content twice.
I keep a shorter version of this checklist on my phone for shopping trips. It's five questions on one page, and it's all yours.
Get the 5-Point ChecklistMy Quince Washable Silk Review: Is Quince Silk Good Quality?
Quince gifted me the maxi skirt, and the Quince links in this post are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Everything here is my honest experience.
Quince Washable Silk Maxi Skirt After Almost 3 Years
The Quince washable silk maxi skirt is the piece that sold me on washable silk. I’ve worn it and washed it on delicate for almost three years, hung it to dry every time, and it has held up beautifully. No snags, no pilling, the elastic waistband is intact, and stains have come out.
It still drapes in a way that feels special every time I put it on. The one change I’ve noticed is softness. Next to my Reformation dresses, it feels slightly less soft, probably because it’s been washed so many more times. I’m just thankful it’s machine washable, because a dry-clean skirt I wore this often would have cost me a small fortune by now.
Quince Washable Silk Drawstring Pants After 10 Months
I’ve had the drawstring wide leg pants since December 2025, and I paid $92. They’re smooth and comfortable, but they feel light, almost too thin in my hand. They also don’t have the fluid, delicate movement the skirt has. They just wear like normal pants. With a drawstring waist, that’s to be expected, but it’s worth knowing if you’re hoping for that liquid silk look.
They wrinkle, too, so I steam them before I wear them out.
Quince Washable Silk Halter Top
I bought the halter top at the same time for $60. Like the pants, it feels on the thinner side for 19 momme. It has kept its sheen and it’s easy to wash, but it does wrinkle, so it may need a quick steam before you wear it out.
Why Is Quince Silk So Cheap, and Where It Shows
Quince sells directly to customers, so you skip the markup of a traditional retailer. In my experience, the savings show up in substance rather than durability. The thinner pieces feel thinner, but nothing I own from Quince has pilled, snagged or come apart. For my take on the rest of the brand, from cashmere to cotton, see my Quince review.
Lunya Washable Silk Review: Is the $298 Set Better Quality?
My Lunya set is the splurge in this lineup, $298 in a deep teal. Of everything I own, it feels the richest, almost like a velvety silk. After nearly a year, it’s as soft as ever with no pilling.
Two things have disappointed me. It’s very prone to wrinkling, and the color looks more faded to me than when I got it.
Here I have to own something. The tag says to wash it cold on delicate, use a mesh bag and lay it flat to dry. I do wash it on delicate, but I usually dry it on the delicate setting too, because laying it flat leaves it wrinkly and I really don’t want to steam my pajamas. So I can’t say whether the fading comes from the silk or from my dryer habit. Lesson learned, probably!
One more data point. I found the exact same top on The RealReal, listed in excellent condition, and it looks just as wrinkled as mine. It was marked down to $76 against an estimated retail of $155, so even well cared for, it resells for about half.
Washable Silk vs. Dry-Clean Silk: Is There a Quality Difference?
Feel, Drape and Sheen Side by Side
Both of my Reformation dresses, the blue Romi ($278) and the wine Helen ($298), feel super smooth and lightweight. Neither has snagged or pilled. Compared to my Quince pieces at the same 19 momme, the Reformation silk is smoother and silkier, and the Lunya set feels richer than all of them.
What Happened When I Washed My Dry-Clean-Only Silk Dress
Confession time. I accidentally got an oil-based stain on my blue Romi and panicked that it would set. I sprayed it with stain remover and put it on the delicate cycle, and the stain came right out, thank goodness. It’s been through the wash a few times since, and it still looks great.
I wouldn’t make a habit of it, and I’m not telling you to machine wash your dry-clean silk. But it taught me something. Traditional silk can sometimes survive the washer. Washable silk is made to do it every time.
What the Extra Money Buys (and What It Doesn’t)
At around $300, Reformation and Lunya buy you a richer, smoother hand feel, and in the Helen’s case, a separate lining. What I can’t prove is that they last longer. My Quince skirt is the piece with years of washing behind it and no damage, while I haven’t washed the Helen yet. That’s the honest gap in this comparison, and I’ll update this post as these pieces age.
Silk vs. Satin: What “Silk Satin” on a Label Means
Silk is a fiber. Satin is a way of weaving fabric so one side is glossy. You can have silk satin, which is what Quince and Reformation use, or polyester satin, which is what most inexpensive “silky” pieces are made of. So when a product says satin, look for the word silk right next to it. If it isn’t there, you’re looking at a synthetic.
Is Silk Durable? The Downsides of Washable Silk
Silk is more durable than its delicate reputation suggests. My Quince skirt is proof, since it’s held up to almost three years of machine washing. That said, washable silk has real downsides:
- Wrinkling. Every washable piece I own wrinkles, and the pants and Lunya set wrinkle a lot.
- Fading. My Lunya set looks more faded after a year, likely helped along by my dryer habit.
- Thinner pieces. My Quince pants and top feel thinner than I’d expect for 19 momme.
- Softness over time. My most-washed piece feels slightly less soft than silk that’s rarely been washed.
Is Real Silk Worth It Over Polyester or Cotton?
For me, yes. Silk is a natural fiber that breathes, so it doesn’t trap heat the way polyester satin can, and it has a drape cotton can’t match. Polyester satin is cheaper and wrinkles less, but it tends to feel slick and clammy and can look shiny in a way silk doesn’t. If you’re working toward a wardrobe with more natural fibers, I shared how I’m doing it in my guide to switching to natural fiber clothing.
Living With Washable Silk: What I Actually Do
My routine is simple. I wash my Quince pieces on the delicate cycle and hang them to air dry. I steam the pants before I wear them out. My Lunya pajamas get the dryer on delicate, which I’d skip if fading bothers you. If you want to follow the labels exactly, Lunya recommends cold water, a mesh bag and drying flat.
Washable Silk FAQ
It can be. Mine is 100% mulberry silk, and my Quince washable silk maxi skirt has held up to almost three years of machine washing with no snags or pilling. Quality still varies by piece, though. My Quince pants and top feel thinner than the skirt, even at the same 19 momme.
Yes. Washable silk is 100% silk that has been finished to handle water, so you can wash it at home on a gentle cycle. Check the tag for “100% silk” to be sure.
My washable pieces have kept their sheen, though my most-washed skirt feels slightly less soft than silk that rarely gets washed. My Lunya set looks a bit faded after a year, which may be partly from drying it in the dryer instead of laying it flat.
None of my washable silk pieces have shrunk. I wash them on the delicate cycle and hang my Quince pieces to dry. Follow the care label, since heat is what usually causes trouble.
Yes. I steam my Quince pants before wearing them, and a handheld steamer is the gentlest option. If you iron, use a low silk setting and press on the reverse side or under a cloth.
19 momme is a common weight for clothing, and it’s what my Quince and Reformation pieces use. Higher momme silk is heavier and more opaque, but as my closet shows, the cut and finish change the feel as much as the number does.
Is Washable Silk Worth It?
Yes, with the right expectations. Washable silk is real silk, and my Quince maxi skirt shows it can last for years of regular washing. If you want silk you’ll actually wear often, and you don’t want a dry cleaning bill every time, it’s worth it.
Just know what you’re giving up. The washable pieces I own wrinkle, the thinner Quince pieces don’t feel as substantial as their 19 momme suggests, and the pricier silk feels noticeably more luxurious. If I could only buy one piece again, it would be the Quince washable silk maxi skirt. For pants and tops, I’d want something with a bit more weight.
Want to check quality before you buy? My guide to how to tell if clothing is good quality walks through the same checks I used here.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. My Quince washable silk maxi skirt was gifted. All opinions are my own, and I only share pieces I’ve worn and tested myself.
