STYLITES IN BEIJING

Silk Turtleneck Shirt

June 25th, 2008

Aurelien and Tony have made much interesting use of the best local silks in both their fall/winter and spring/summer collections.  The silks they use are not what one usually enounters in the fabric markets.  Many are sourced in Shandong instead of Zhejiang, the province we usually think of as the source of all good silks.  In the previous photo of Aurelien he wore a silk tweed coat; here he is in a very light silk charmeuse turtle neck shirt.  The fabric is a satin weave with the expected shimmery quality, and the cut is both slim and drapey.  This vertical striped shirt will enhance the height and slenderness of wearers who are already tall and thin.  Silks of this type have always struck me as particularly risky when compared with linens or cotton poplins for people who have even an ounce of extraneous body mass, since there tends to be little give. 

I have concerns about wearing silk directly on the body.  It seems less breathable than other summer fabrics, though it is clearly more dramatic and special.  Tony and Aurelien assured me that the silks they use are relatively breathable, so perhaps I will look into this.  We are still waiting now to hear the final word on the opening of the Le Divan boutique in Sanlitun.

Entry Filed under: Beijing Street Fashion - 北京街头时尚