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Bon Journal

Mulberry Silk

What feels light on your body, allows your skin to breathe, keeps you warm but doesn't let you sweat? It's non-allergenic duvet made of natural fibers: finest silk from China encased in highest quality dress shirt cotton. You can wash and dry it at home, but it won't get lumpy.

Sounds too good to be true?

The Canadian sales lady tried to convince me that she could sleep with just the light weight duvet in her well-insulated home. Since I had lived in Montreal for 8 months, I can hardly believe it.

These duvets have been heavily discounted for the Ideal Home Show. And the ones on display were even cheaper.

After thinking about it all day, I returned to the stand to purchase the ones on display: a light weight and a medium weight double for 199 pounds. Why two? One for me, one as a gift - the sort of "this will keep you warm forever."

The next morning I put the medium weight one into my Laura Ashley cotton duvet cover. I looked forward to trying it out. I deliberately turned off the heating system so that when I returned home in the evening, the house would be thoroughly cooled.

After a hot bath, I climbed directly into my loft bed in great anticipation of sweet dreams in mulberry silk.

The warmth from the bath soon subsided as I dozed off. At some point in the night I awoke from a chill. I started sniffling and sneezing. And then I noticed that I was curled up like a cocoon. It wasn't warm enough to sleep cosily and continuously. But the duvet sure was light. I didn't sweat, but I didn't sleep either.

The cold was so uncomfortable that I decided to get out of bed and face the day - earlier than usual. So now I have a dilemma. Should I continue to believe in Mulberry Silk? Or should I try the light weight on top of the medium weight tonight? But one was intended as a gift. Besides, I cannot imagine lying under 199 pounds of silk duvet no matter how light they are!

Well, I don't have much space in my house. And I already have four duvets that work perfectly well. Not silk, but they have kept me warm for years.

14 March 2002 Thursday

When my customers ask my advice, I tell them that the choice of "weight" of duvet depends on both their circumstances and whether or not they sleep in central heating. i.e., if they tend to feel the cold, sleep in a cold bedroom etc., then I recommend a heavy weight silk duvet (approximately 1kg of silk floss in a single and nearly 2kg in a superking size one. If, on the other hand, they sleep with a partner in a centrally heated bedroom, then I recommend a medium weight and for those who feel the heat, I recommend a light weight.

Fiona Mayes
Direct Duvets