The samples are layered in alphabetical order, the same order as they appear in the book. It takes only a few minutes to mount the samples to the book's pages, using double-stick tape or a small spot of glue.

We don't cut corners on our samples. We use real silk fabrics, not synthetic lookalikes. Our samples are larger than most -- 4 inches long by 2.5 inches wide -- big enough to get a good look at the characteristics that make each fabric unique.

To the best of our knowledge, all of the samples are 100% silk, with two exceptions: The brocade is 22% silk/78% rayon and the velvet is 18% silk/82% rayon, made with rayon pile on a silk background fabric. (All-silk versions of these two fabrics are costly and difficult to find.)

32 SILK FABRICS

batiste de soie	crepe de Chine	matelassé	shantung
broadcloth	douppioni	matka	suiting
brocade	four-ply silk	noil	surah
charmeuse	gabardine	organza	taffeta
chiffon	georgette	peau de soie	Thai silk
China silk	habutai	pongee	tussah silk
cloqué	jacquard	printed silk	tweed
crepe	knit	sandwashed silk	velvet