Our Materials

At Silq Rose, we pride ourselves on creating hijabs from sustainable materials that have been ethically sourced. Every design in our collection has been made using natural fabrics and innovative fibres, making our hijabs the best choice for women who value health, the environment and local communities.

Social sustainability is at the heart of what we do. Since we don’t purchase ready-made fabric or work with wholesalers, we are able to go to great lengths to ensure that our supply chain and production methods have minimal environmental impact. This means avoiding the use of toxic dyes and harmful chemicals, including petrochemicals and carcinogens, which are damaging to both the planet and the human body.

We only produce hijabs using the following natural materials, which are comfortable and breathable, and feel beautiful against the skin.

burgundy jersey hijab

Jersey

Jersey is a soft, stretchy, knit fabric which is typically made from wool, cotton and synthetic fibres. However, our unique Gracell® soft touch jersey consists of bio-based innovative fibres, created from renewable sourced wood pulp. This produces a durable and breathable high-strength yarn.

Our particular jersey is especially environmentally friendly, as its raw materials do not come from a specific plant type or location. With no single source, the fabric’s overall impact on the environment is significantly lower than other similar materials.

How to care for jersey

To prevent jersey from shrinking or stretching, wash at a cool temperature. We recommend doing this by hand, in water less than 30°C.

Air dry the fabric by laying it out flat, so it will keep its shape. Never put your jersey hijab in the tumble dryer, as this will likely cause it to shrink. Don’t be tempted to wring the material dry either because this may damage the natural fibres over time.

Jersey usually doesn’t require ironing, but if any creases need to be removed, steam or iron your hijab on a medium heat.

Explore our jersey collection.

dark emerald silk hijab

Silk

Silk is made by spinning the threads of silkworm cocoons into raw fibres. We make our hijabs from 100% Mulberry silk, which means that the Bombyx mori moths that produce the silkworms are only fed Mulberry leaves. This is considered the finest silk in the world due to its uniform colour and texture, and long individual strands. Mulberry silk is also 100% natural, odourless and hypoallergenic.

Unlike fabrics like polyester and nylon, silk is renewable and biodegradable, and can go on to produce mulch and compost to nourish the soil. The silk we use is also completely free from toxic dyes and chemicals, making them kinder to your body, the environment, and the communities located around the manufacturing plants.

Furthermore, our silk has an important social benefit, providing employment to Silk Road artisans (mostly women) in rural Chinese populations where our silk mills are located. This is the country that first developed sericulture (the cultivation of silkworms to make silk) thousands of years ago. The fibres are then carefully dyed and hand-rolled for a luxurious finish.

How to care for silk

You can either hand wash your silk or put it in the washing machine on a cool  cycle. Avoid using detergents as the majority of them will dry out the fibres — bleaches, whiteners and softeners can significantly damage the fabric. We recommend cleaning your silk using a biodegradable soap like Seventh Generation.

Air dry flat rather than using a tumble dryer, which may cause shrinking, dulling and snags.

To iron a silk hijab, make sure you use the lowest possible setting and do so while the fabric is still damp, as moisture will prevent overdrying. Additionally, don’t steam your hijab, as the extra heat may damage the fibres.

Explore our silk hijab collection.

navy cotton hijab

Cotton

Cotton is a natural, plant-derived fabric that is lightweight and durable. We make our hijabs out of cotton twill, which has a distinctive texture with diagonal lines on the face of the material. Its tight weave also makes it non-sheer and provides maximum coverage. However, we also produce cotton modal designs with a semi-loose weave, offering more opacity.

All the cotton we use is completely biodegradable and easily recycled. This also makes our cotton hijabs highly absorbent, comfortable, breathable, and wearable all year round.

How to care for cotton

You can put cotton in the washing machine as long as it is set at 30°C or below, though washing by hand is still preferable.

Always air dry laying flat and don’t wring the fabric to release excess water as this can damage the composition of the natural fibres. Cotton creases easily, so will probably require ironing, but you should aim to do this as infrequently as possible in order to preserve the material’s composition. Either steam or iron your hijab on a medium heat.

Explore our collection of cotton hijabs.

feather grey modal hijab

Modal

Modal fabric is a bio-based material made from the cellulose (the main substance in plant cell walls) of reconstituted beech trees. It is also a form of rayon, but with added durability and flexibility. Softer than cotton, and light and smooth texture as silk, modal fabric is sturdy, breathable and provides ample coverage.

We only use Lenzing Modal® from Austria and the Czech Republic, which is one of the most sustainable fabrics in the textile industry. This is a replenishable raw fabric created using innovative environmental processes that aren’t available to Lenzing’s commercial competitors. The non-toxic technologies also allow the company to recover up to 95% of the fabric’s production material, while minimising emissions and conserving resources.

Modal is superior to other rayon fabrics like viscose in terms of its environmental and social sustainability. These materials are treated with hazardous chemicals, and often contribute to deforestation, as forests are cleared and farmers displaced to make way for pulpwood plantations.

Furthermore, Lenzing Modal® is on track to become the world’s first carbon neutral fibre producer in the world, having set a net-zero CO2 emissions target by 2050.

How to care for your modal hijab

How you look after a modal hijab will depend on whether it is the sole component, or whether it has been blended with another fabric like cashmere or silk.

Pure modal or modal twill

  • Hand wash in warm water.
  • Air dry by laying flat, without wringing, which could potentially damage the natural fibres.
  • Steam or iron on medium heat.

Modal and cashmere

  • Dry clean only.

Modal and silk

  • Hand wash in water no warmer than 30°C. Never machine wash.
  • Air dry by laying flat.
  • Steam press on a low to medium temperature for the best finish.

Explore our modal hijab collection.

soft brown cashmere hijab

Cashmere

Cashmere is fibre that comes from the thick fleeces of cashmere goats. Though technically a wool, it is lighter, softer, finer, stronger, and warmer than sheep’s wool. And perhaps the best thing about cashmere is that it gets better with age, becoming softer with every wash.

We source the cashmere for our hijabs from ethical and sustainable suppliers in Mongolia. The fabric is 100% natural, biodegradable and renewable, with no added acrylics, synthetics or polyesters.

How to care for a cashmere hijab

We blend our cashmere with either modal or silk to create our hijabs. Both variations should be dry cleaned only.

Explore our collection of cashmere hijabs.

dusty pink georgette hijab

Georgette

Georgette fabric is a semi-sheer, lightweight, slightly textured crêpe. It was originally made from silk, using highly twisted yarns to create a distinctive crinkled surface with a matte finish and a stunning drape.

The fabric for our Georgette hijabs comes from our renewable and biodegradable Mulberry silk, which involves no petrochemicals or toxic dyes in the course of  production. A beautiful and luxurious choice, Georgette is hand rolled to finish, and non-slip thanks to its subtle texture.

How to care for a Georgette hijab

As our Georgette is made from 100% Mulberry silk, the care instructions are the same as they are for standard silk.

  • Hand or machine wash with cool water on a delicate cycle.
  • Don’t use detergents that may be drying, or products containing bleach, whiteners or softeners. We recommend a biodegradable soap like Seventh Generation.
  • Lay flat and air dry. Never tumble dry.
  • Iron on a low setting while damp to prevent the silk from overdrying. Don’t steam as the heat may damage the fibres.

Explore our collection of Georgette hijabs.

smoke peach chiffon hijab

Chiffon

Chiffon is similar to Georgette, but smoother and more sheer due to its looser weave. Light, delicate and floaty, the fabric is often woven by hand due to its fragile composition.

Though it’s now common for chiffon to be made from cheap, unsustainable materials like polyester and rayon, the fabric was originally created out of silk. It is considered a luxury textile in this form, which is why we only use chiffon made from 100% Mulberry silk to create our hijabs.

How to care for chiffon

As our chiffon hijabs are made from 100% Mulberry silk, care instructions are the same as they are for standard silk.

Explore our chiffon hijab collection.

Once you’ve chosen your preferred material, consult our hijab style guide and explore all the ways to wear your beautiful, sustainable new hijab, or learn more about how our hijabs are sourced and made.

Further reading