Fabric 101: Shantung

Shantung is a type of silk fabric that has a crisper drape than many other varieties. It is known for the horizontal slubs that occur randomly throughout the fabric, giving the material a uniquely textured surface. Shantung is one of the thinnest types of silk, even though it is an opaque fabric.

Real silk shantung is a luxury fabric that is reserved for high-scale items like wedding dresses, evening wear, or even high-end men’s wear. Shantung is best used for full-bodied garments, or clothing that is not tightly fitted to the body. 

Fabric	Shantung
Texture?	Somewhat rough with a slubby texture
Stretch?	Shantung does not stretch
Heavy or light?	Lightweight fabric
Stiff or flowy drape?	Stiff drape
Nap?	No nap
Typical fiber content?	Traditionally silk, polyester shantung is common now
Opaque or sheer?	Opaque fabric
Shiny?	Slight shine, but not super reflective
Fraying?	Frays easily
Pilling?	Not prone to pilling, but the fabric can snag easily
Other identifying properties?	Frequent horizontal slubs across the width of the fabric
Cool or warm weather?	Better for warmer weather, but can be used for either
What to make?	Gowns and evening wear, wide skirts, high-end suits, vests, and structured shirts
What needle to use?	An extra sharp microtex needle is usually best

What kind of fabric is shantung?

The first time I saw and touched shantung, I was surprised. I was expecting a characteristic soft, silky fabric, but it’s quite a bit rougher than what I’ve come to expect of most silks.

Shantung is a crisp and extremely lightweight silk fabric. It’s quite delicate and is not a type of fabric that’s used in everyday clothing and is instead reserved for high-end garments, especially bulky gowns. It is is considered to be one of the highest-quality types of silk fabric. Shantung can be gathered to create high-volume garments, which is why you see it most frequently in ballgown-style outfits.

In addition to the lightweight, stiff texture, shantung is known for its ‘imperfections’ along the surface of the fabric. The texture of shantung is fluted, which means it has small yarns going across the length that create minuscule ridges. In some areas these ridges are uneven, creating slubs that look like thicker, knotted sections. This gives the fabric a natural, bumpy texture that is a feature of the material.

Faux shantung (also called polyester shantung) is also available nowadays. It tries to mimic the slub texture and lightweight, stiff drape of real silk shantung, but it doesn’t quite manage to copy the real thing. Still, it’s great for use in cosplay and costuming if you’re looking for a more affordable alternative material with an interesting texture.

What can you make with shantung fabric?

Shantung is mainly used for wide, full-bodied skirts and gowns as a type of evening wear. Wedding gowns are probably the most common usage. It is also used in fashion for men’s suits and tailored vests, and can also be used for more structured clothing, especially if you want to include impressive gathered elements, like puff sleeves.

Properties of shantung fabric

• Texture: Real silk shantung has a unique texture that combines the natural softness of silk fibers, with a stiff fabric and ridged surface, making it somehow soft and rough at the same time. On the other hand, faux shantung has a much more plastic-like feel to it and is not the same pleasant texture.
• Weight: Despite being completely opaque and quite stiff, shantung is an extremely lightweight (almost featherweight) fabric.
• Drape: Shantung has a crisp drape. In this aspect, it’s similar to taffeta material, but shantung is probably just a bit stiffer.
• Fiber composition: Real shantung is made from silk. Even now, with the prevalence of synthetic fibers, silk shantung is still used in garments (though it is by no means a common material). The polyester version of shantung is typically reserved for costuming and sometimes as decorative elements on clothing or even on home decor items.
• Opacity: Despite being so lightweight, shantung is also completely opaque. It has a very dense weave with a high fiber count so that no light makes it through the material.
• Shine: Shantung has a slight sheen to the surface of the fabric. The ridges and slubs break up the light, preventing shantung from having the satin-like shine you might expect from silk fabric. However, if you look at it from far away, the material will look like it has an elegant glow to it. 
• Fraying: Shantung fabric frays alot, especially along the width of the fabric. The side parallel to the ridges can seem like the individual yarns keep peeling off the edge.
• Durability: Shantung fabric is a delicate material that can snag easily, pulling the yarns and fibers out of place. Luckily, shantung is not prone to running rips, so a small snag shouldn’t create a rip all the way down the length of the fabric, but you still need to be careful with it.
• Wrinkling: Shantung can wrinkle fairly easily. However, it usually doesn’t create hard creases the way cotton or linen fabric does.
• Breathability: Silk shantun is quite breathable, and it doesn’t retain heat very well because of how thin it is. Polyester shantung is not breathable at all.

What to know before sewing with shantung

Surprisingly, shantung fabric is not all that difficult to sew with. Since it’s a very structured fabric with a high thread count and it’s not slippery, you won’t fall into the pitfalls that make a lot of silk fabrics difficult to work with.

There are still two qualities of shantung that you need to take into account when sewing. One is the delicate and thin weave of the material, the other is the tendency of the fabric to fray.

• Use a smaller needle size: When sewing with shantung fabric, use a size 60 or 70 universal needle, or you may have to switch to an extra sharp microtex needle instead. This will prevent puckering and damaged fibers while sewing with the shantung.
• Use a smaller stitch length: Typically somewhere between 2 to 2.5mm will work best.
• Handle your fabric and pattern pieces as little as possible: Avoid touching and moving pieces when it’s not necessary so the fabric doesn’t fray too much.
• Consider finishing with a French seem: You can plan to make durable seam finishes that enclose the fraying edges
• Cut your pattern pieces with pinking shears: Instead of waiting until you’ve sewn a seam, you can go ahead and zigzag or overlock-finish the edges of your fabric pieces before sewing them together.

How to care for shantung fabric

Since shantung is a delicate fabric made of silk, it’s also not the easiest material to care for. For the most part, it’s best to dry clean clothes that are made from shantung. You can also hand wash your shantung items, but you’ll need to be careful since water can stain silk.

Polyester shantung is much more durable than silk. You can wash this in any home washing machine. It’s less likely to damage the fabric, especially if you use delicate settings. It’s a good idea to wash a swatch of the material first to make sure it doesn’t damage the texture, but for the most part polyester fabrics are highly washable.

Should you iron or steam shantung?

If your shantung is wrinkled, it is perfectly okay to iron or steam your fabric or garment. Silk will burn if you make the iron too hot, but it can still take some heat. Usually around the medium settings on your iron (it’s labeled on most modern irons).

Steaming is also an option. This will probably be easier for de-wrinkling a bulky skirt with a lot of gathering. Just be sure that your steamer does not spit water. Water droplets have the potential to stain silk fabrics.