Sort of silkiness (3)
I believe the answer is:
ilk
'sort' is the definition.
(ilk can mean a type or kind)
'of silkiness' is the wordplay.
'of' indicates a hidden word.
'ILK' is hidden within 'silkiness'.
(Other definitions for ilk that I've seen before include "Kind of silks" , "Like" , "Kind, class" , "Disposition" , "Type - kind" .)