Silk is a fibre; satin is a weave. Silk comes from silkworms and can be turned into many kinds of cloth, while satin describes the smooth, glossy-fronted weave itself, which can be made from silk or from other fibres such as polyester.
The core difference
Silk names a material, while satin names a way of weaving fabric that produces a glossy front and a duller back.
- silk — a fine, soft natural fibre from silkworms, or cloth woven from it: the dress was made of pure silk and felt cool against her skin.
- satin — a smooth fabric with a glossy front and dull back, woven from silk or a similar fibre: the bride wore a gown made of ivory satin.
How to tell them apart
Think of it this way: silk is what the fabric is made of, satin is how it is woven. A garment can be silk without being satin (plain-woven silk has a matte look), and it can be satin without being silk, since satin weaves are common in polyester and other synthetic fabrics too.
The mix-up usually shows up on clothing labels, where shoppers assume satin always means silk. Checking the fibre content label, not just the shine, is the reliable way to tell which fabric you actually have.
