Silk touches the lives of rural Chinese in more material ways, too, in the form of the silkclothes, quilts, umbrellas, fans and flowers that punctuate everyday life.
It is thanks to companies like these that Italy still exports more food-processing machines, washing machines, fridges, shoes and shoe-making machines, ski boots, ceramic tiles, jewels, woollen and silkclothes, radiators and boilers, optical frames and neck-ties than any other country in the world.
And understand that even a single wearing (or probably a lot of try-ons with your new sweater) means your natural-fiber clothes (wool, silk, cotton, cashmere, fur including blends) are no longer sterile when it comes to insects.