Creating antique effects on silk fabric

Purpose The purpose of this study is to reduce the gloss of the surface of silk fabrics, by treating the fabrics with tea and matting agent, to imitate the aging and retro effects of silk artefacts. Design/methodology/approach Silk fabrics were treated with different processing techniques. The aged appearance and surface gloss of the silk fabrics were characterised by sensory analysis, measurement of reflectivity, scanning electron microscopy, measurement of brightness and chroma to identify the influential factors. Findings The application of matting agent on silk fabrics could reduce the lustre of silk fabrics. Treated with matting agent and tea pigments, silk fabrics could be “aged” to achieve retro effects within a relatively short period of time. A number of other factors and mechanisms that affect the reflectivity of the silk fabrics were also identified. Research limitations/implications There is no definite index to evaluate the antique effect of fabrics. Practical implications The method developed through this study provided a simple and practical solution to achieving aging and retro effects on silk fabrics. Originality/value The method for reducing the lustre of silk fabrics by treating them with matting agent is novel and the finding of the relationships among reflectivity and brightness and chroma is original