Silk

Welcome to this edition of China Lifestyle Journeys, the series that brings you chats, discussions and insights on all aspects of Chinese living. We will cover festivals, food, traditions, customs and much, much more. I’m your host Jocelyn… and I’m Mat, just an English guy with lots of questions.

So, Mat, what’s your big question today?

(Mat)

Hello listeners! Welcome to a rather glamorous episode of China Lifestyle Journeys. Today we’re looking at the world of silk and its role in both Chinese fashion culture and even global fashion. Now silk has always been cherished1 in China as a symbol of beauty, elegance, and luxury. We know that, I think everyone knows this. I also know that silk has a really smoothtexture2, (Actually, there’s a word or an expression that we use quite a lot in English to mean really smooth – ‘silky smooth3’ , and we use this expression ‘silky smooth’ to talk about anything with food, drinks, material, when the texture is really smooth… we say it’s silky smooth.) So I know that silk is smooth… but apart from this… what makes it so special as a fabric for clothing? So Jocelyn, let’s talk about silk fashions and what makes silk so special for people like yourself, for Chinese women.

(Jocelyn) 

OK, I think that’s a great place to start! Silk has been an important part of Chinese fashion culture for centuries. Silk is smooth, or ‘silky smooth’ as you say in English. It has a unique shiny finish to it. It flows and hangs in a really beautiful and elegant way. Imagine a large piece of cotton, think about how it hangs down. Now imagine a piece of silk hanging, you can almost picture that special quality, the way that it drapes4 so elegantly. Now that’s just the start. It also feels very soft and delicate on the skin when you wear it. So, because of these qualities, silk is perfect for making elegant shapes in traditional Chinese clothes likeqipao dresses,tangzhuang jackets, and things like that.     

(Mat)

Hang on a second, I get the part about the silky smooth texture and the way it hangs, but what were those words you just said,qipao andtangzhuang... I think you’ll need to explain those before we continue.

(Jocelyn) 

Sure! Aqipao is a traditional Chinese dress that’s known for its elegant, fairly tight,figure-hugging5 design. It’s often worn by women on special occasions, and features a high collar and unique patterns. You’ve definitely seen one before – it’s the classic traditional Chinese dress. It’s a symbol of grace andfemininity6. Atangzhuang, on the other hand, is a style of traditional Chinese jacket. It has a straight cut and a stand-up collar. Both of these classic clothing items look best when they’re made from silk.

(Mat)

Ah yes, I can picture them now. So let’s get back to the fabric, silk. Now I know that there are different types of silk, like different quality levels or grades (I remember this, I think, when I was in a traditional silk shop somewhere). So how can we tell how good a piece of silk is? How do we measure the quality?

(Jocelyn) 

So, when it comes to silk quality, there are a few things to look for. One of the most important things is the sheen7 (that’s just a fancy word for how shiny the fabric is or the material is)  – the highest-quality silk has a natural, beautiful shine. It looksglossy8 and almost wet. And it behaves like a liquid, it has a unique fluid flow (that I’ve mentioned before). The highest-quality silk looks so shiny that it has a strange reflective quality to it. Now, as you go down in quality, the sheen is lower, so the silk looks less shiny, and this gives it a less fluid appearance, and it looks kind of flat. And there’s another important difference, the higher-quality silks are stronger because they are made from the best raw material. Cheaper lower grade silk isn’t as strong because it’s made frominferior9 materials, so it doesn’t last as long as it can break or tear quite easily.

(Mat)

Now that’s quite interesting because I thought the opposite would be true. In my mind, when I picture high-quality silk, I imagine a fabric that is really delicate and easy to rip. But it seems like you’re saying that this isn’t the case.

(Jocelyn) 

That’s exactly what I’m saying. Because of its light weight, silk is often thought of unable to withstand everyday wear. A lot of people think silk is fragile10 because of its appearance. On the contrary, silk is one of nature’s strongest natural fabrics when it’s high-quality silk, it’s really strong. A well-made silk dress can last for decades and even become anheirloom11 piece. In Chinese museums, you can find examples of old silk clothing that is hundreds and even thousands of years old.

(Mat)

Wow, I didn’t know that. So silk is one of the strongest fabrics or natural fabrics in the world. That’s pretty cool.

(Jocelyn) 

Yeah, I forgot to mention before that it has a nickname, ‘The Queen of Textiles12’ and it gets that name partly from its appearance and partly from its strength.

(Mat)

Right, that’s quite a cool nickname, I’m impressed. So if silk is the queen of textiles, what’s the king?

(Jocelyn) 

Haha. To be honest I don’t know the answer to that, cause it’s meant to be an episode just about the queen, silk, I guess.

(Mat) Sure, so what else do I need to know about silk before we finish?  

(Jocelyn) Well if you really want to know more about silk, you should really visit the city of Suzhou, the silk capital, it is a must-visit for any silk fan. You can explore the silk shops on Pingjiang Lu, learn all about silk craftsmanship at Suzhou Silk Museum, and witness silk production in a factory. You can take home exquisite souvenirs like embroidered gowns, fans, and bedding. Speciality shops even createbespoke13 qipaos andtangzhuang jackets, making you feel like a real Chinese silk goddess!  

(Mat)

I’m not sure if I really want to be a silk goddess, but I think this is a good place to make some cultural connections. We can think about silk beyond China too. Of course, the ancient Silk Road trade enabled silk to travel from China to places like Persia, Rome, Egypt and many other regions in ancient times. So silk’s luxurious reputation expands many centuries and many different civilizations. And of course, these days, silk is really important globally in luxury fashion. Top designer brands from Italy, France, and around the world, many of them use silk for their most prestigious14 and most expensivegarments15. I know that actually in my country, England, when we think about very formal, traditional clothing, a silk tie is considered to be the highest quality tie you can find. So silk’s luxury appeal is actually important to people all around the world, not just in Chinese culture.

Well, that’s it for today. We hope you enjoyed this episode, thanks for listening. We hope to see you again next time. Until then, goodbye. Stay wise.

Key words and expressions:

1. cherish  v. /ˈtʃerɪʃ/ 珍爱，钟爱

to love, protect, and care for someone or something that is important to you

e.g. Chinese culture is cherished by people all around the world for its rich history.

        中国文化因其丰富的历史而受到世界各地人们的珍视。

2. texture n. [C or U] /ˈtekstʃər/ 质感；手感

the quality of something that can be decided by touch

e.g. This artificial fabric has the texture of silk.

        这种人造织物有丝一样的质感。

3. silky smooth 如丝般柔滑

used to describe something that is exceptionally smooth, soft in texture or appearance, resembling the feel of silk

e.g. After applying the lotion, her skin felt silky smooth to the touch.

       涂抹了护肤霜后，她的皮肤触感如丝般柔滑。

4. drape v. /dreɪp/ 披，搭，垂下来

to put something such as cloth or a piece of clothing loosely over something

e.g. She draped the scarf loosely around her shoulders.

她把围巾松松地披在肩膀上。

5. figure-hugging adj. /ˈfɪɡəˌhʌɡɪŋ/  （衣服）紧贴身体的，贴身的

used to describe clothes that fit closely to your body

e.g. a figure-hugging dress

        贴身长裙

6. femininity n. [U] /ˌfeməˈnɪnəti/ 女性气质

the fact or quality of having characteristics that are traditionally thought to be typical of or suitable for a woman

e.g. Long hair was traditionally regarded as a sign of femininity.

传统上，长发被认为是女性气质的象征。

7. sheen n. /ʃiːn/ 光彩；光泽

a bright, smooth surface

e.g. The conditioner gives hair a beautiful soft sheen.

        这种护发素能使头发美丽、柔顺，富有光泽。

8. glossy adj. /ˈɡlɒsi/ 平滑有光泽的

smooth and shiny

e.g. She has glossy hair like silk.

        她的头发如丝绸一般富有光泽。

9. inferior adj./ɪnˈfɪəriər/ 差的；比……不如的

not good, or not as good as someone or something else

e.g. These products are inferior to those we bought last year.

这些产品比我们去年买的差些。

10. fragile adj. /ˈfrædʒaɪl/ 易损坏的；易碎的；脆弱的

easily damaged, broken, or harmed

e.g. The delicate porcelain teacup was so fragile that it broke when it was lightly bumped.

        那个精致的瓷茶杯非常脆弱，轻轻一碰就破碎了。

11.  heirloom n. [C]  /ˈeəluːm/ 传家宝，祖传之物

a valuable object that has been given by older members of a family to younger members of the same family over many years

e.g. This ring is a family heirloom.

这枚戒指是家里祖传的。

12. textile n. [C] /ˈtekstaɪl/ 纺织物；织物

a cloth made by hand or machine

e.g. the textile industry

        纺织业

13. bespoke adj./bɪˈspəʊk/ 定做的，定制的

specially made for a particular person

e.g. a bespoke suit

        定做的西装

14. prestigious adj/presˈtɪdʒəs/ 有威望的，有声望的

very much respected and admired, usually because of being important

e.g. a prestigious literary award

       颇具声望的文学奖

15.  garmentn. [C] /ˈɡɑːmənt/ （一件）衣服

a piece of clothing

e.g. Traditional Chinese garments, like the elegant silkqipao, reflect the exquisite craftsmanship and timeless beauty of Chinese culture.

传统的中国服装，如优雅的丝绸旗袍，反映了中国文化的精湛工艺和永恒之美。