Women's cream jacquard kimono dressing gown

Start with what the garment is for: a kimono robe wraps rather than buttons, and the sleeve is cut wide — it is a layer, not a coat. Satin is a weave, not a fibre: the threads float across the surface, which is what gives the sheen and the drape. It falls rather than wraps, and it stays cool against the skin. That is the difference between a satin robe and one that only looks the part.

In use it shows up as one thing: it falls instead of standing away from the body — there is no bulk at the shoulder and no weight at the hem, so the line stays clean. On that note, see also our yellow dressing gown range.

Women ask about the cut through the shoulder and where the belt sits at the waist before anything else, and they are right to — it is where most robes fall down. In the same vein, have a look at our off white dressing gown.

• Cool to the touch — it holds no heat, which is what makes it wearable over nightwear in a warm room
• It photographs beautifully — the reason this is the one that ends up in getting-ready photographs
• Belt loops that hold the belt — a small thing, and the first thing missing on a cheap robe
• It comes back the same from the wash — no shrinking at the cuff and no shape lost at the shoulder

Satin is not warm, and it is not meant to be. For a cold house in January, fleece or towelling is the right call — this one is for the shoulder season and for heated rooms. Hand wash cold and hang to dry. Treated that way, a satin kimono robe 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 womens cream dressing gown.