Habutai (from the Japanese , literally "feather-two-layer", also spelled habotai or habutae) is one of the most basic

plain weave Plain weave (also called tabby weave, linen weave or taffeta weave) is the most basic of three fundamental types of textile weaving, weaves (along with satin weave and twill). It is strong and hard-wearing, and is used for fashion and furnishi ...

s of

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

fabric. While it was traditionally woven in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, most habutai is today woven in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. It is normally a lining silk but can also be used for

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt, or tee for short) is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a '' crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shir ...

lampshade A lampshade is a fixture that envelops the light bulb to redirect the light it emits. The shade is often affixed onto a light fixture to reduce the intensity of the light to observers, shield the light from a harsh environment, or for decorati ...

s, summer blouses or very light

lingerie Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...

. It is quite easy to

dye Juan de Guillebon, better known by his stage name DyE, is a French musician. He is known for the music video of the single "Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical ele ...

and can be found in many stores. Like other kinds of silks, habutai comes in a variety of weights (thicknesses) which is measured in

momme Momme may refer to: * Momme Andresen (1857–1951), German industrial research chemist * Momme Peterson (1771–1835), Danish-Norwegian businessperson and politician * Momme (unit), a Japanese historic unit of weight, or units based on it: ** A ...

s (abbreviated ''mm''). A lightweight and sheer habutai silk might be 8 mommes ("8mm"); a 16mm habutai is considered quite thick. Habutai is a lightweight, shimmering material once used mainly for making silk

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn Garment collars in hanfu#Youren (right lapel), left side wrapped over ri ...

. It is sheer and often has an ivory color.

References

Silk Woven fabrics Textile arts of Japan

References

See also