Silk is a fiber of animal origin obtained from silkworms. It is also the name of the fabric obtained from these fibers. This dry description from Wikipedia, unfortunately, does not reflect what silk is. And it is much more than fabric for timeless clothes.
Silk fabrics are characterized by gloss, they are smooth, soft, light, thin and very pleasant to the touch. There are many kinds, from thin habotai linings to heavier crepe or rich, heavy woven brocades. In Japan, where silk was the basic fabric and was worn even by the lower class, there are dozens of kinds with different qualities.
For us, Europeans, silks are mostly associated with kimonos. Kimono is not only the national costume of Japan but also in many cases, works of art of weaving and dyeing.
Kimono expressed not only the current fashion trends or the owner's taste but a lot more. With the kimono, one could tell the social status of the wearer, marital status, age. The length of the sleeves or their shape tells about the marital status. The type of fabric, at least until recently, testified whether one was a nobleman or a merchant because the fabrics and colors were subject to the property census. The details of the kimonos and the ability to coordinate it with other accessories reveal the taste of the person, but also a certain sensitivity - for example, wearing a kimono with a sakura flower motif for the Hanami festival was considered a fashion faux pas.
The richness of designs on kimonos results from the centuries-old tradition and admiration of the Japanese for nature, and the changing of the seasons, weaving, embroidery and dyeing allow to create almost any vision.
From today, unique fabrics are available at the Wisteria Gardens store
