Why Is Silk So Expensive in Clothing & Accessories?

Video Description

We dig more into silk and find out why this popular luxury fabric is so expensive: https://gentl.mn/why-is-silk-expensive #silk #fabric #notsponored SHOP THE VIDEO: → Silk Moiré Cummerbund in Black: https://gentl.mn/silk-moire-cummerbund-black → Shantung Silk Striped Bow Tie Green: https://gentl.mn/shantung-silk-bow-tie-green-purple → Orange Red Mottled Knit Tie: https://gentl.mn/orange-red-mottled-knit-tie → Reversible Scarf in Burgundy & Blue Motifs & Paisley: https://gentl.mn/scarf-in-burgundy-motifs-paisley → Madder Silk Pocket Square in Purple Diamond Motif & Paisley: https://gentl.mn/pocketsquare-purple-diamondmotif-paisley → Eagle Claw Cufflinks with Carnelian Balls: https://gentl.mn/carnelian-balls-eagle-claw-cufflinks → Pink & Grey Shadow Stripe Socks: https://gentl.mn/pink-grey-shadow-stripe-socks → Burgundy Mini Carnation Silk Boutonniere: https://gentl.mn/burgundy-mini-carnation-1 → Burgundy Silk Wool Pocket Square with Paisley & Shoestring Edge: https://gentl.mn/burgundy-pocketsquare-paisley-shoestring GUIDES YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS: → Cotton Explained: https://gentl.mn/cotton-fabric-explained → Classic Men's Sleepwear: https://gentl.mn/mens-sleepwear-guide → Madder Silk Explained: https://gentl.mn/madder-silk-1 VIDEO CREDITS: → Script: E.J. Daniels → Camera: Chris Dummer → Editing: Jonathan Oster → Visual Supervision: Preston Schlueter → Birdy Official → Business Insider → Mulberry Silk Arm Industries → Virginia Postrel → Mowgli Productions → Peggy Osterk → Columbia Pictures Television IMAGE CREDITS: → US Chamber of Commerce → ThoughtCo → Shanghai Daily → HerStorie → Sandip De → History Today → Robotics & Automation News → Smarthistory → Encyclopedia Britannica → Alex Bahzan → Local & Bespoke → Everything Silkworms → Savor the Day → Pindoudou → Gardening Know How → CGTN → Star Tribune → Carleton University → Bug Under G → Peggy Osterkamp's Weaving Blog → Google Arts & Culture → Paradise Fibers → Laloras → Innovation News Network → OpenEdition Journals → depts.washington.edu → Hamilton Partnership for Paterson → Patricia Temples Photography → The Boston Globe → My Place to Years Want to see more videos? Subscribe to our channel! → https://gentl.mn/youtube Become a part of the Gentleman's Gazette community - support us on Patreon! https://gentl.mn/patron ________________________________________________________________________ Gentleman's Gazette https://gentl.mn/GGwebsite-homepage-2 https://gentl.mn/FBclassic-accessories-2 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gentlemansgazette Gentleman Quiz: https://gentl.mn/gentleman-quiz-signup-1 00:00 Why Is Silk So Expensive Introduction Silk is one of the most important fabrics in menswear history and remains a symbol of luxury and taste to this day. Even the word “silk” has become a byword for decadence and excellence. 01:30 The History of Silk The oldest evidence of silk production dates back to the Yangshao culture of Neolithic China. According to popular stories, the pseudo-mythological Chinese empress Leizu (Lay-zoo) invented sericulture, a fancy word for the cultivation of silkworms for the production of silk. Through the centuries, silk production in China was standardized. For centuries, China held a virtual monopoly on silk production which was spread across the globe via an important network of trade routes known as the Silk Road. 05:21 Modern Silk Production 10:26 Grading Silk 14:50 Making Silk Products What started with a tray of mulberry leaves and a pile of silkworms ends with a gorgeous silk fabric that is ready to be turned into any number of luxury menswear items: → Neckwear → Scarves → Pocket Squares → Suits, Sport Coats, & Shirts → Socks 17:32 Pros & Cons of Silk Upsides: → Possessing a unique and immediately recognizable gloss. → An extremely soft hand that is lustrous and smooth without feeling overly slick or slippery. → Thermoregulating properties that naturally circulate air for a cooling effect. Downsides: → While it doesn’t tear easily, silk has poor elasticity → Silk is also easily marred → The modern ubiquity of satin polyester and its ability to approximate the look of silk. 19:24 So, why is silk so expensive? 1. It must be harvested from animals that require care and feeding. In a process that is time and resource-intensive. 2. It must be specially woven and prepared from a limited supply of raw materials. 3. And it must be assembled into a final product that requires special workmanship to ensure no mistakes and minimal waste. 20:12 Outfit Rundown