The French Seam

• The French seam is a double seam arrangement, one of which is concealed. Inspect the silk top and look for the Baby Lock stitch. The Baby Lock stitch is the fingerprint of factory mass production. Avoid tops made with this stitch. The French seam employed in construction of a silk top adds longevity and stability to the entire garment. The fabric folded inside the second seam adds weight to the garment in critical pressure points.
  
  

The Enclosed Seam

• The enclosed seam is a double seam arrangement also. However, the double stitching on the enclosed seam is exposed on the inside and outside of the top. Many garment designers specify this construction for decorative purposes. Thus, a top has visual appeal through the use of the enclosed seam without becoming garish through the use of inappropriate embroidery or stamped prints.
  
  

The Enclosed Buttonhole

• Select a silk top with enclosed buttonholes rather than stitched buttonholes. The stitched buttonholes fail to last. Stitching ravels and the silk is subject to fraying. The enclosed buttonhole makes the production of the silk top more costly, but the final product has no comparison in terms of longevity. Silk tops with enclosed buttonholes generally have a better design, because the better designers understand the value of each detail of the silk top.
  
  

The Covered Button

• Cheaply produced silk tops often have plastic buttons. Better silk tops will be sold with buttons covered in silk. Look for silk tops that make use of silk frogs as closures. Look for closures that are the appropriate weight for the top. Sheer silk tops require a closure that will not damage the silk as it is opened and closed. Test each button to make certain that it slides easily through the buttonhole.