Men's black mulberry silk dressing gown

Start with what the garment is for: a dressing gown is for the hours either side of sleep: the kettle at seven, the sofa at ten. Silk is a natural protein fibre, spun rather than woven from plastic. It regulates temperature better than any synthetic — warm when the room is cool, cool when it is warm. That is the difference between a silk robe and one that only looks the part.

In use it shows up as one thing: it adapts to the room instead of fighting it — the one fabric that works in March and in July without changing anything. There is more of this in our mens silk dressing gown range.

Men ask about room across the back and enough length in the sleeve before anything else, and they are right to — it is where most robes fall down. There is more of this in our silk dressing gown range.

• Kind to skin and hair — the smooth surface causes far less friction than cotton at the collar
• It drapes like nothing else — weight and fluidity together, which is what separates silk from a satin weave
• A robe you would keep — weight, finish and detail are where the money goes on a dressing gown, and all three show from across the room
• Belt loops that hold the belt — a small thing, and the first thing missing on a cheap robe

Silk needs looking after: cold hand wash, no wringing, out of direct sunlight. If that sounds like a chore, a satin weave gives you most of the look for none of the care. Hand wash cold with a silk detergent, roll in a towel, dry flat away from the sun.. Treated that way, a silk dressing gown lasts five winters rather than one — the difference between a robe you keep on the back of the door and one you replace every autumn. For more on this, browse our mens full length dressing gown.