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Yellow satin

on the wine-coloured bills of the Comédie-Française, nothing seemed to me to differ more profoundly from the sparkling white plume of the Diamants de la Couronne than the sleek, mysterious satin of the Domino Noir.Prooust. Translated by Lydia Davis. London, penguin Books Ltd, 2003.

Satin is light, smooth and shiny. The name ‘satin’ does not refer to a material, but rather to a weaving technique over two thousand years old that found its way from China to Europe in the Middle Ages. Satin used to be something that only the elites could afford, because it was made from silk. Nowadays, satin is also made from synthetic fibers such as rayon (originally called “artificial silk”), acetate, and polyester. It is used for purposes such as bridal dresses, prom dresses, accessories, undergarments and upholstery: what used to be a luxury item for the elite, is now affordable luxury for all.Akou, Heather Marie. “Satin Weave”, Love to KnowHowever, satin is still associated with luxury and mystique in Proust’s Combray, and the lines above proof just that.

Yellow satin is considered erotic, but to understand that you will have to read on.