Judging quality of satin when buying online

[simonr]

Hi,

Shopping online can sometimes be a matter of hit and miss. Since we only have the photos to work with, it can be difficult to judge the quality of the satin we are getting. How do everyone here judge the quality when you make purchases online?

I'll start by sharing a couple of my stories. For me, the smoothness and the shine/gloss of the fabric are the most important things. Since smoothness cannot be readily judged based on photos, I mostly went with the shine/gloss of the satin when buying online. One recent purchase showed me the fallacy of this method. The satin I bought has a very appealing shine, but turned out to be stiff and rough to touch. I didn't like that dress at all and it ended up sitting in my closet collecting dust.

After that failed attempt, I gave up on online shopping for a while and made a few very satisfactory purchases in stores. However, the huge number of choices online is simply too appealing, so I went back online last week and bought a skirt. This time, I tried to judge the quality of the satin by visually estimating its softness. When I received the skirt, I was again disappointed, the satin is indeed soft, but the smoothness leaves a lot to be desired...

With the wide range of choices available online, I don't think I can just give up on it. So I'll need to find a way to judge the satin based on photos.

Cheers,
Simon

[inlovewithsatin]

I understand what you're saying. When I've been at stores looking at satin clothes, many of them feel and look different from each other. The tags usually just say "polyester." Must be many different kinds of polyester that feels different. It is tough to know what is what. I wouldn't be able to tell just from a photo. I actually haven't bought anything on line for that reason. There have been some garments that were a certain type of polyester that I wanted. They're like a shiny "disco" dress or outfit from the 1980s I've seen in some TV shows. Very shiny and slinky looking.

[simonr]

inlovewithsatin,

Exactly! Satin from different makers feel so different one from another. Even worse are satin clothes from the smaller manufacturers. Many just label the fabric as "satin"... I also try to buy offline as much as possible, but the choices are rather limited.

[inlovewithsatin]

Many times, I go to re-sale shops to find some clothes to buy. Not a big selection sometimes, but I do fins some things there..Just hope they're in a size I can fit into.

[promdresslover]

one of the drawbacks to buying anything online is you never really know what you are gonna get.

This is why I stick with known brands of dresses I like that historically use "quality" silk/satin. And I always ask for DETAILED pictures if the seller (eBay) doesn't have them. I always ask for fabric content labels if the seller doesn't show them or list the content. Since I really get turned on by silky linings, I ask for pictures.

But the only way to really KNOW what you are getting is to buy in person. It's just the way it is.

Satin sheet shopping is the most difficult online. So much of the satin sheets sold on eBay are total complete garbage. I have yet to find a set that really do it for me.

[inlovewithsatin]

a lot of times when I'm in stores, I'm feeling the silky clothes on the racks. (Hope no one is watching me.)

[simonr]

one of the drawbacks to buying anything online is you never really know what you are gonna get.

This is why I stick with known brands of dresses I like that historically use "quality" silk/satin. And I always ask for DETAILED pictures if the seller (eBay) doesn't have them. I always ask for fabric content labels if the seller doesn't show them or list the content. Since I really get turned on by silky linings, I ask for pictures.

But the only way to really KNOW what you are getting is to buy in person. It's just the way it is.

Satin sheet shopping is the most difficult online. So much of the satin sheets sold on eBay are total complete garbage. I have yet to find a set that really do it for me.

When I'm in stores, I've noticed that even dresses from the same brand may not use the same satin fabric. Some are stiffer, some are softer etc. But yeah, fabric labels from big brands are certainly one way to have some control over the quality of the satin.

[simonr]

a lot of times when I'm in stores, I'm feeling the silky clothes on the racks. (Hope no one is watching me.)

I try to feel ALL silky stuff wherever I can. Here in Singapore, public event organizers like to use satin table cloth. When I see these events, I would hang around the tables, pretending to look at whatever is on display, while actually feeling the satin table cloth

[inlovewithsatin]

At my sister's house, she has these white sheer curtains on some of her windows. Sometimes I touch them. Feels so soft and silky. would love it if panties or slips or dresses were made out of that soft sheer material.

[simonr]

My satin fetish probably started from a satin curtain My room had a soft and silky satin curtain when I was about 10 and my bed was right below the window (come to think about it, it was a rather strange arrangement). So for a year or so, I would go to sleep while caressing the silky fabric. Ever since then, I have been hooked to the smooth touch of satin!

[szewei85]

a lot of times when I'm in stores, I'm feeling the silky clothes on the racks. (Hope no one is watching me.)

I try to feel ALL silky stuff wherever I can. Here in Singapore, public event organizers like to use satin table cloth. When I see these events, I would hang around the tables, pretending to look at whatever is on display, while actually feeling the satin table cloth

haha same here in malaysia dang especially malay weddings and other malay events hmmm

[sandysatin]

I buy a lot of my satin online, (Ebay) and generally speaking, I don't get it wrong. I spend a lot of time studying the photo's, looking at the shine and most importantly the way it drapes. If there are too few photo's, or they don't show sufficient detail, or the satin does not look like it drapes as I would want it, I don't buy. I look also at the non-shiny side - that often gives me a clue about the quality. And the edges. Poor quality satin can look very frayed at the edges. If I have any concerns at all, I don't buy. I find descriptions to be misleading. They all claim to be 'slippery soft' etc!!!

I have purchased from one seemingly brilliant Ebay satin seller in USA, who sells tons of amazing satin gowns / slips at ridiculous prices - like $150 plus. She takes incredible photo's, and many of them, and her outfits make the mouth drool. The satin looks glossy, the drape looks stunning, the outfits look to be worth every penny / cent. I was however disappointed when it arrived - it was a very thin grade satin and slightly coarse. Not great for wearing against the skin. When worn as an outer layer with favorite softer satins underneath it is epic. But worth all that money? No. I no longer buy from her. And yet I see she sells the same stuff day after day, presumably to people like us. Incredible.

Wedding dresses are another difficulty. I go for vintage 1940s ones. But you still have to study the photo's very carefully! And you have to watch out for photoshopped pics or poor exposure etc.

Satin sheets - yup, very difficult. Never buy on Ebay!!! Some of the best sheets were from satin boutique in USA - lingerie grade 600 thread count. I have several sets. Cost an arm and a leg, but the quality is staggering. Unfortunately, they no longer make 'em No idea why. Don't think they sold enough. I have medium quality ones from a UK supplier, which are ok. But anything less than say £80 on a set of satin sheets, and you are buying sandpaper - which I suspect is what is often being sold on Ebay!!

It's definitely not easy!

[coatfun]

I agree with Sandysatin you have to study the pictures and know the different types of satin. When it comes to satin gowns I look at the style age of the gown, especially bridal gowns. In my early days if it was shiny and looked like satin I would fuck it, but now I want the best satin on my cock. I will often download the picture of the dress or gown and enlarge the picture.Over the years I have been able to learn the difference. When it come to satin lined ladies coats I know which brands have the best satin linings. If there is not a picture of the lining of the coat I will ask the seller to post some or send me pictures of the lining. I have several sets of satin sheets that I save for special occasions. I bought high quality bridal satin at the fabric store and had them made. Not cheap but well worth it. Most fabric stores can give you the name of a seamstress that will make them. The thing about Ebay is that if you are not sure about the quality of a satin item, be patient another item will come along soon. I have picked up some to die for satin lined coats at yard and garage sales also. You never offer full price and you have the ability to look and feel the item.
Happy satinfucking
Coatfun

[IReallyLovePureSilk]

Thank you for posting a topic like this as I have my own things about what I do when buying my silks online!

When I buy dresses, I only buy them as 100% pure silk satin/charmeuse (pretty obvious to some)! Whenever I buy from eBay and see what I desire the most, I do my best to get the best insight I can with the silks I buy. Pictures do not do the dress justice...I have to ask almost every single question to know what I'm trying to get. Some sellers don't realize how important it is when I buy the specific silk dress I'm eyeing on! All these questions go through my mind as follows...

"How was the dress acquired?"
"How long ago was it acquired?"
"What event has it been worn to?"
"What's the reason for selling it?"
"Are there any imperfections upon it?"
"Could you double check a little more carefully, especially the skirt area cause that's usually the victim of certain events?"
"Was the dress laundered in any way (which does include dry cleaning)?"

I need to know those details in order to know the history of the dress because it does downgrade, even after dry cleaning from being brand new. Regardless the dry cleaner, it affects silk in some way...some very slightly, others substantially. Some dry cleaners do not specialize in silk, especially cheap ass dry cleaners...I know this for a fact! I've ran into some sellers who don't open up on certain things about the dress yet say very little about them. I try to negotiate a little but those who can't make a reasonable deal, I wind up still just putting the item on watch...and watch the item not sell for months on end.

When they say it has not been dry cleaned, I let them know to not worry about that as I'll take care of the cleaning. Reason being, if you want the best quality feel of pure silk satin, it's best you receive it the way it is...spots or no spots. If the dress has little damage to it, it's a winner and a steal if it's never been worn or taken anywhere else. Silk feels fabulous when it feels fresh and has a lot more bounce to it compared to it being dry cleaned. I know that sounds crazy but it's the truth. Always take care of your own dry cleaning only if it really needs to be cleaned. Some people just don't know...

To explain that, I had to send newer silk dresses for use to MySatin/SatinPlay for use on their models. If you recall the poll I had, one of them was the champagne color. I had 2 choices of that color and there was a little spot on each dress so I took one of them in to get cleaned. Spot came out ok on that one but had to compare between one that was untouched and one that got cleaned. I almost chose the dry cleaned one after extensive research on each one (I can hear the chuckles xP ). When I laid down the one that was untouched in a certain way, the airy bounce of it was a lot more noticeable to it. I did the same thing for the cleaned dress and it did not do the exact same thing. I compared both the same way a few more times and came to the conclusion that the untouched dress was the winner. I'm so glad I sent that one now...cause the update of Natalia Forrest donning it was fantastic!

Anyways, I may be anal on buying my silks...but if I want the best feeling silk dress on my anus, it's totally worth asking questions on!

A friend of mine has mentioned to me about the WhisperSilk satin bed sheets as they closely resemble the feel of silk charmeuse. This is not confirmed to me but I'm contemplating on buying them shortly. They are 100% polyester and those will have to impress me when I receive them...though I will always stick with pure silk! Will need to make sure they're the correct ones before I buy but if they are like he says, I might buy one more set. Definitely king size as I'm trying to prepare on purchasing a king sized bed in the near future. Affordable right now.

As far as silk charmeuse sheets go, I'd recommend 16-19mm silk charmeuse sheets from Sisters-Silk. I also hear to go for the sheets with the seam down the middle and not seamless silk sheets. They say the seamless is not as soft.

[simonr]

I buy a lot of my satin online, (Ebay) and generally speaking, I don't get it wrong. I spend a lot of time studying the photo's, looking at the shine and most importantly the way it drapes. If there are too few photo's, or they don't show sufficient detail, or the satin does not look like it drapes as I would want it, I don't buy. I look also at the non-shiny side - that often gives me a clue about the quality. And the edges. Poor quality satin can look very frayed at the edges. If I have any concerns at all, I don't buy. I find descriptions to be misleading. They all claim to be 'slippery soft' etc!!!

Great advice! The drape does tell a lot about the quality of the fabric. Guess I still need to make a couple more mistakes to gain the experience needed

I have purchased from one seemingly brilliant Ebay satin seller in USA, who sells tons of amazing satin gowns / slips at ridiculous prices - like $150 plus. She takes incredible photo's, and many of them, and her outfits make the mouth drool. The satin looks glossy, the drape looks stunning, the outfits look to be worth every penny / cent. I was however disappointed when it arrived - it was a very thin grade satin and slightly coarse. Not great for wearing against the skin. When worn as an outer layer with favorite softer satins underneath it is epic. But worth all that money? No. I no longer buy from her. And yet I see she sells the same stuff day after day, presumably to people like us. Incredible.

I think I know whom you are refering to. I've also drooled over her dresses sometimes, but the price is simply too steep for me... She certainly knows how best to present her dresses