The complete guide
The Honest Buyer's Guide to White Silk Pillowcases
The problem with the pillowcase you already own
Most of us never chose our pillowcases. They came in a sheet set, or they were on sale, or they were the right colour at the time. They are almost always cotton or a cotton blend, woven tight enough to hold up to a hot wash and a tumble dryer.
That toughness comes at a cost. Woven cotton has texture, and texture means friction. You feel it most if you have long hair or if you sleep on your side with your face pressed into the pillow for seven hours. You wake up, your hair is in a different shape than when you went to bed, and there are creases on one cheek that take a while to settle.
Silk is the usual answer, and this pair of white silk pillowcases is about as plain a version of that answer as you can get. Two cases, standard size, 100% mulberry silk on both sides, a zip to close them. No pattern, no trim, nothing fussy.
What 22 momme actually tells you
Silk is sold by momme, written as mm but pronounced "mommy". It is a weight measure, a bit like GSM for towels or paper. The number tells you how heavy a given length of the fabric is, and heavier silk is denser, more opaque, and generally more hard-wearing.
You will see silk bedding sold anywhere from about 16 momme up to 30. The low end feels thin and almost papery, and it tends to show wear fast. The very high end is lovely but stiff, and it costs a lot more. The 22 momme band is where most people land, because the fabric has real substance while still draping the way silk is supposed to.
This set is 22 momme on both faces. That matters, because some cases use silk on the sleeping side and a cheaper backing fabric underneath. Double-sided silk means you can flip the case over halfway through the week without changing what your face touches.
The listing also gives a 600 thread count. Thread count is a weave measure rather than a weight measure, and with silk it is less important than momme. Still, 600 points to a fine, even weave, which is consistent with the smooth surface you would expect from a best 600 thread count silk pillowcase.
Why the closure is worth thinking about
Pillowcases close one of three ways. An open end with nothing holding it, an envelope flap that tucks the pillow in behind a layer of fabric, or a zip.
Open-ended cases are the cheapest to make and the first to annoy you, because the pillow works its way out overnight. Envelope flaps solve most of that and look tidy. A zip, which is what this pair uses, holds the pillow completely and keeps the face of the case flat.
The zip here is described as invisible, meaning it sits hidden in the seam rather than on show. On a plain white case that is the right call. There is no pattern to distract from a visible zip pull, so anything on the surface would stand out.
One small practical note. Position the zipped end toward the outer edge of the bed when you make it up. You will never feel it, and the case will look neater.
Who this suits
Side sleepers notice the difference first. If you spend the night with one side of your face against the pillow, the surface you are pressing into matters more than it does for a back sleeper.
People with long hair are the other obvious group. Hair that catches on a cotton weave slides over silk instead. It is purely a friction thing, nothing applied to the fabric, which is why the best silk pillowcase for long hair is simply the one made from smooth, decent-weight silk.
It also suits anyone who sleeps warm. Silk feels cool on contact and the fabric is listed as breathable. In a New Zealand summer that is a genuine comfort gain, and in winter the fabric does not feel cold the way some synthetics do.
Who it does not suit? Anyone who wants to throw bedding into a hot wash and forget about it. Silk needs a gentler hand, and if that sounds like a chore, cotton remains a sensible choice.
Getting the size right
Standard pillows measure roughly 20 inches by 26 inches, which is 50.8 cm by 66 cm. That is exactly what this pair is cut to.
Before you order, take a tape measure to your own pillow. Lay it flat, measure the long edge, then the short one. If you get close to 66 cm by 51 cm, you are in standard territory and this will fit.
If your pillow is noticeably longer, you may have king size pillows, which are common on larger beds. If it is square, you have European pillows, which are used as back support rather than for sleeping. Neither of those will work with a standard case, and forcing a pillow into a case that is too small puts strain on the seams.
A slight amount of give is normal and fine. You want the case snug enough that the pillow fills the corners, but not so tight that the zip strains when you close it.
Caring for silk without making it a chore
The care instructions for this set are specific. Hand wash at no more than 30 degrees Celsius, wash alone or with similar colours, and never bleach.
Here is the routine that works. Fill a basin with cool water and dissolve a mild detergent in it completely before the silk goes in. Undissolved detergent sitting against the fabric can leave marks. Submerge the case, move it around gently for a few minutes, then rinse in clean cool water until no suds remain.
Do not wring it. Press the water out between your palms, or roll the case in a clean towel and press down. Then dry flat or hang it in the shade. Direct sun and radiator heat both age silk fibres faster than anything else you will do to it.
If you mark the case, deal with it the same day. Soak the whole thing in clean water first, then hand wash as normal. A stain left to dry and set is much harder to shift, especially on white.
This is also where the two-pack earns its keep. One case stays on the bed while the other dries, so you never have to choose between a clean pillowcase and following the care instructions.
White, and why it is the easy choice
Colour choices in bedding tend to age badly. A colour that looked current when you bought it can clash with the next duvet cover you pick.
White does not have that problem. It sits under anything, it matches the white sheets most households already own, and it reads as clean in a way other colours cannot. In a bedroom where you have a patterned duvet or a bold headboard, plain white pillowcases give the eye somewhere to rest.
The trade-off is that white shows marks. That is manageable with prompt washing and no bleach, but it is worth knowing going in.
Buying one versus buying a pair
Single silk pillowcases are sold everywhere, and they are tempting because the price looks lower. In practice a pair is usually the better buy.
A double bed needs two pillowcases to look right, and even a single sleeper benefits from having a spare in the cupboard. Given that silk is hand washed and air dried rather than run through a quick machine cycle, going without a spare means a night on cotton every time you wash.
The short version
This is a pair of plain white pillowcases made from 22 momme mulberry silk on both sides, woven at 600 thread count, cut to the standard 66 cm by 50.8 cm size, and closed with a hidden zip.
If you sleep on your side, have long hair, or simply want a smoother surface than cotton gives you, the fabric does what you want it to. If you are happy to hand wash and air dry, it will keep doing it for a long time.
Measure your pillow first, keep the care routine simple, and rotate the two cases so there is always a clean one ready.