What is momme? The silk number you should actually look at
It sounds like a typo. It's actually the fastest way to tell good silk from okay silk.
Momme (say it like "mommy") is the number printed next to almost every silk product, and most of us scroll right past it. Don't. It's the quickest quality check there is.
What it measures
Momme is silk's unit of weight. A higher number means more silk packed into the same area of fabric, so the cloth is denser, more opaque and more durable. Think of it a bit like thread count, except it actually means something.
The cheat sheet
- 12 to 16. Light and floaty. Lovely for scarves, a little thin for something you wash every week.
- 19. A respectable starting point for bedding.
- 22. Noticeably richer, with real body and staying power. The pillowcase sweet spot.
- 25 and up. Heavy and indulgent, with a price tag to match.
Why we landed on 22
A pillowcase lives a hard life. It's pressed on all night and washed constantly. We wanted silk with enough weight to hold up wash after wash, but still fluid enough to feel cool and soft rather than stiff. Twenty-two was where both clicked.
Momme tells you how much silk. Grade tells you how good. You want both.
Momme isn't the only number
Weight tells you how much silk there is, not how good it is. Check the grade too (6A is the highest) and the fiber (mulberry is the gold standard). Heavy, low-grade silk is still low-grade silk.
The short version
Momme tells you how much silk is in the fabric. Twenty-two is the pillowcase sweet spot: rich to the touch and made to last.
