Crepe de Chine
blouses, dresses, scarves, soft tailored separates
Crepe de chine is woven plain weave, but the yarns are twisted tightly in alternating directions (S-twist and Z-twist) before weaving. That alternating twist is what gives the fabric its slightly grainy, textured surface instead of a smooth one, and it's also why the cloth doesn't fray as readily as a standard plain-weave silk. Weight is measured in momme, typically 16 to 30, putting most crepe de chine in a light-to-medium range.
It has a matte, almost dull finish compared to charmeuse's shine, and drapes with soft body rather than clinging. It presses flat without much sheen, which makes it more forgiving to sew than satin-weave silks, though it still needs sharp shears and fine needles. It has no stretch, so patterns need normal wearing ease.
Crepe de chine is a workhorse for blouses, soft dresses, and scarves, and it's the cloth most people mean when they say "silk" for eveningwear that shouldn't be too shiny. It takes gathers and soft pleats well and is a reasonable step up from cotton voile for someone ready to sew with silk for the first time.