Tissue Silk: All you Need to Know

By Anusha Lall

Tissue silk is a lightweight, semi-transparent silk fabric woven with fine metallic (zari) threads, prized for its unmatched lustre and excellent finish. It’s especially famous for the sarees made from it — timeless, charming pieces whose grace is one of a kind, much like the impeccable quality of the fabric. Widely loved for its appearance, tissue silk’s semi-transparent nature, ever-present sheen and shot effect set it apart from other similar materials.

What is tissue?

Tissue is a technical term that means different things in handloom and power loom. Here, tissue is a thread of zari (gold or another metallic thread) stretched to be as thin as a silk thread.

Weaving is done by alternating between the metallic thread and the real silk thread. These tissue threads are metallic and therefore harder than normal silk threads, so the tissue silk that results is distinctly different in texture from pure silk — though not too hard. And if you’re wondering about the name, the fabric gets it from its tissue-like texture, which lends it a fragile appearance.

How tissue silk is made

This sheer fabric is made with elaborate materials like gold and silver threads that give it a luxurious appeal, and the rich look can be enhanced further with intricate embossed figures in the design. The tissue silk fabric is woven with an open-weave pattern: the metallic threads run in one direction while the coloured yarn threads run in the opposite direction, enriching the weave with a beautiful signature sheen. While only gold and silver threads were used initially — which sent prices skyrocketing and kept it available only to the wealthy — the need for affordable, accessible fashion led to gold- and silver-plated metallic threads, which kept the art of weaving tissue silk alive.

Tissue silk in ethnic fashion

Tissue silk is used primarily for sarees — unique and beautiful, and light enough to be hassle-free, ideal for festive occasions when you can celebrate without worrying about a heavy drape. A pure tissue silk saree is outstanding, with a golden base, elaborate golden zari weaving and a thick golden woven border that resembles brocade, and it makes the wearer look petite and perfect.

The use of tissue silk in ethnic fashion doesn’t end with sarees — designers actively incorporate it into suits to enhance the richness of the look, and tissue sleeves and laces are taking ethnic fashion to new heights. Accessories are your friends here: the richness of the outfit might seem like enough, but a tissue silk suit or saree supports both minimal and heavy accessories, giving completely different looks depending on the occasion. It wouldn’t be wrong to say tissue silk is synonymous with majesty and otherworldly beauty — as long as it’s available, you needn’t look for anything as beautiful or as unique.