Artificial silk was first produced in the 1890s and was commonly known as art silk or viscose. In the United States, it was later called rayon. This fabric was created using cellulose fibers to mimic the material produced by silkworms, enabling textile plants to produce far more material at far less than the cost of real silk.

For centuries, clothing made of silk had been obtainable solely by the wealthy; thus, it served as a status symbol for the elite. With the emergence of artificial silk, which resembled true silk so well that the layman couldn’t determine a difference, it became more important to highlight clothing made from real silk, to ensure the symbol still had value. Therefore, it became necessary to disparage those who wore fake silk.

Though the title of the novel contains the phrase “artificial silk,” the phrase itself is only mentioned once. In the novel, artificial silk is a metaphor for trying to be what one is not. Just as artificial silk poses as real silk, Doris poses as one of the elite and wealthy, even though she continues to belong to the proletariat.