Hangzhou and Suzhou both call themselves the "Silk Capital of the World" and it is true their histories go back to the first little worms and their mulberry feasts. History is replete with stories of this incredible fabric being traded all over the world. It remains a luxury fabric, still desired by the discerning with deep pockets.

When friends come to visit, I always take them to one of the two city museums. Both are excellent. They walk us through the discovery of what those little critters, chewing away on the mulberry leaves, let out of their salivating mouths. The process of converting their cocoons to the end product silk, and then the weaving and dying, is time and labor consuming but well worth it. The whole world coveted it in ancient times and they still do.

I made my first silk purchases, as a tourist, in Suzhou. A friend who lives there and has a sharp eye for quality and price took me to a store and told me to look no further. I bought scarves and my first pair of silk pajamas. It was the beginning of my addiction to silk pajamas.

There is a vulgar saying among certain Sicilian guys in New York: "I'm so rich I blow wind through silk" (I cleaned it up a bit). Well, fellows, I'm not rich, but by golly I can sleep in silk. Or what I think is silk.

The first pair I bought cost 600 yuan ($93), which is comparable to what one pays in the US. I winced a little at the price, but because my friend vouched for this merchant, I bought them. That was several years ago and I still wear them. Well worth the price, I thought, but as time went on I thought I could do a little better.

At Hangzhou's Silk Museum shop I found a pair for 500 yuan. I snapped them up, quite pleased with myself. Then I was taken to Hangzhou's Silk Street. A feast set for silk lovers. Hundreds of shops all selling silk. I was in heaven until I realized that while I could buy scarves at a good price, nothing else fit me!

Persistently, I went from shop to shop asking, "XXXL?" Finally someone smiled and dug out a pair of XXXL. Price? After bargaining they were 250 yuan. Now I had three pairs, which should be enough for anyone. But I had become addicted.

When I found a shop that sold them for 200 yuan, I bought another pair. I should have been a bit more suspicious. The honest merchant sold me a pair for 600 yuan, which are still in good shape. The museum pair, ditto. Why did I think I could more than halve the price and still be happy with the product?

Any shopper who focuses on the price above reason can tell you the answer to that. It is like being a hunter and there is the thrill of the chase and capture. I was so pleased with myself until I washed the cheaper ones. Uh oh. The colors faded and they began to fall apart.

I hadn't learned my lesson yet. I found an XXXL pair for 150 yuan and snatched up two. After all, this is a Silk Capital, surely there are bargains to be found. I was assured, by an honest-looking woman, they were 100 percent silk. I was wishing I'd bought three pairs until I got home and noticed a tiny label which stated they were, in fact, 100 percent - polyester.

Caveat emptor is advice handed down from the Romans. Buyer beware. Another old saying to heed: If it's too good to be true, it probably is. I'm going to start a Silk Addicts Anonymous chapter. Care to join?

For China Daily

(China Daily 06/09/2011 page20)