Moiré

Also: watered silk

Moiré is a fabric, usually a ribbed silk, finished by pressing so that it shows a rippling, watered pattern.

Moiré, or watered fabric, is made by pressing a corded cloth, often silk taffeta or faille, between rollers or folded on itself under heat and pressure. The ribs are flattened in some places and not others, and the surface reflects light in shifting waves like water.

Is the pattern woven in?

No: it is a finish applied after weaving. That is why moiré can fade if the fabric gets wet or is badly pressed.

Sources

Moiré (AAT 300400593). Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Moire (definition). Dictionary.com
Moiré (Q1752512). Wikidata

Is the pattern woven in?

Sources

See also