Silk Vs. Taffeta

[Gwyn]

So I just looked and they have the exact dress I want in Taffeta as well as silk. For about 600-700 dollars less.

Have any of you tried / worn a taffeta wedding gown?

I tried googling the differences but I couldnt get a good side by side comparison. I assume that the silk is better as it is more expensive and while picking through other forums i saw something about taffeta being make with some ace..something word that was less durable?

Anyone have any thoughts on the pluses/minuses of the taffeta gown vs. the silk one?

 

[Kit]

Gwyn,

Personally I think it comes down to preference. I think taffeta is a stiffer fabric with more sheen to it, while silk is very soft and has more of a glow. I just ordered my gown and after trying on polyester satin gowns for weeks, I put on my gown which is silk satin and was like, whoa this fabric is amazing. But I have always loved satin so...if you are a taffeta person in general, get that.

I think that also there are many kinds of silks out there so it really depends what kind of silk you are talking about. Overall as a general rule I would say, go with the fabric that has a better drape and smooths you out more.

Can you share a pic of the dress?

 

[Independent Gal]

Tafetta can be made of silk. Silk can come in chiffon, tafetta, satin (as in silk satin), etc. Tafetta is one of the stiffest versions and can look very elegant and formal.

Silk will breathe more than synthetics (if the tafetta is synthetic?), and I usually think it looks nicer too. But that''s a lot of money!

 

[Gwyn]

How do I tell what kind it is? It just says tafetta on the website. I guess I will have to find a store that carries it and try it on. Yes, no kidding. at Jays bridal the silk one goes for 1300 and change (i think 1367) and the taffeta one for 627 or 657 something in the 600s!!!!!

 

[jcrow]

humm. first thought was that the taffeta would be silk taffeta. and in that case, i think it would depend on the type of gown as to whether i''d prefer silk satin (assuming??) vs. silk taffeta. i belive princess diana''s wedding dress was silk taffeta... maybe a not so contemporary example, though...
my SIL got married in silk taffeta pronovias wedding gown. it was stunning. i couldn''t imagine any other fabric doing it justice either.
on the other hand, my gown was silk satin. and i don''t think it would have worked as nicely in taffeta.

 

[neatfreak]

If you're comparing silk Taffeta, with regular silk satin, there is a MAJOR difference in appearance between the two. They really fall nothing alike, so it's important to try on both types.

For example, my dress is taffeta, and I don't think it would work at ALL in regular silk. Are you sure they don't mean that it comes in both SILK taffeta and SYNTHETIC taffeta?

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Is there any way you can order a swatch of both fabrics from the dressmaker? Or find another bridal shop that has a taffeta verson of the dress (or a smilar dress)? It would be ideal if you could see the dress in both fabrics, so you can tell how it lies, but if you can''t do that then the next best thing is to have a swatch of both fabrics. Maybe you could call Jay''s Bridal in the morning and get more details on what type of taffeta it is...

I''ve heard that synthetic tafetta and silk look very similar in photos, but they do feel and look different in person. I don''t think I tried on anything in taffeta, but most of the gowns I tried on were silk (and the dress I bought is silk) and I really do love the way it looks and feels.

 

[Gwyn]

Here is the link for the first one

http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?keywordText=royal&keywordType=any&pageSize=8&page=1&style=A3092

Here is the link for the second

http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?line=m&showAll=1&pageSize=8&style=A3098

The one I tried on was the top one. The cheapest price i found for it was over 1300, the second link is the one for $657.

That is all the information I can find on the dresses. Not sure what the exact material is...


On the FAQs it says I can order swatches through a retailer. i guess that is my next course of action

 

[MustangGal]

I helped a friend try on Maggie dresses recently, and the taffeta is actually very light weight, even more so than their satin. I didn''t see any of the silk versions in person, but the taffeta was very flowy and pretty.

 

[Pandora II]

Taffeta is a crisp, smooth woven fabric made from silk or synthetic fibers. The word is Persian in origin, and means "twisted woven." It is considered to be a "high end" fabric, suitable for use in ball gowns, wedding dresses, and in interiors for curtains or wallcovering. There are two distinct types of silk taffeta: yarn-dyed and piece-dyed. Piece-dyed taffeta is often used in linings and is quite soft. Yarn-dyed taffeta is much stiffer and is often used in evening dresses.

As far as I can see, if the fabric is ''silk'' manufacturers tend to state it as it''s a plus point for them.

Personally I would go for the silk as it feels, wears and photographs better.

Satin will hang in folds better and shape to your body more than taffeta will.

 

[neatfreak]

Gwyn, both of those pics look like taffeta to me. I would guess that we are talking about synthetic or silk taffeta, NOT taffeta vs. silk satin.

My dress is synthetic taffeta, feels pretty nice to the touch actually, saved me a TON of $, and photographs beautifully. So I personally don't know that the extra $ is worth it if you have a small budget.

That being said, I do appreciate nice fabrics, so if if budget wasn't an issue, I would go for the silk taffeta. But it sounds like budget is an issue, and personally, I don't think the different fabric is worth twice the price when the synthetic one photographs so nicely...

 

[tallblondemonster]

they are both beautiful...i guess it will depend on what you like better...the silk seems to be more flowing and the taffeta seems to be more structured...i guess it will come down to your preference...probably best to try both on and see what works on you best.