Silk comforter
Silk comforter (絲綿被) is a luxurious Chinese bed covering. Regular Chinese comforters are usually filled with shorter cotton fibers. Only the rich families can afford comforter with silk filling. The long silk fiber are combed, aligned and stitched together loosely into thin layers. The silk fiber layers are then stacked together and sealed inside silk fabrics to form comforters of various thickness. The result is extremely light weight despite the thinkness. Silk comforter is warm but the fiber let moisture pass through. Thin silk comforters are used even in summer. The silk comforter is protected by a washable envelope. The comforter itself is seldom washed but dried under the sun a few times each season. Even in modern times when artificial fibers of various characteristics are readily available, silk comforter is still practical and considered a kind of status symbols in Chinese community. In the US, silk comforters are mainly imported from China or Taiwan and are priced roughly the same as down comforters. However, many Chinese people dislike the odor of goose down hence silk comforter is more preferable.
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