Meeting your partner's mother for the first time?
Arrive with something she will keep.
A first meeting has a narrow brief. Too expensive looks like trying too hard; too little looks careless. A silk square with a real story sits right in between, and it gives the two of you something to talk about.
Imperial Lotus in pink and green: a lotus hand screen-printed on 100% Grade 5A mulberry silk, 16 momme, both faces, with the edge rolled by hand.
Pink & green Colorway
16 Momme
2 Printed faces
We pay the import duty, not you.
Free US shipping on the 26, 36 and 44 inch. The 22 inch is a flat $20 to ship. Allow 1 to 3 business days before it leaves Hanoi, then 9 to 15 business days to the door.
A lotus that gives you something to say
When she asks about it, here is the answer. The lotus comes from the imperial palaces of Thang Long, in Hanoi, between the 11th and 15th centuries.
The lotus was carved into the stone bases of the palace columns, the parts that held the roof up. It was in the palace ponds, in sculpture, on celadon and blue-glazed ceramics.
In Vietnam it stands for purity and for rising above hard circumstances. A lotus grows from mud without taking on its smell.
Pink and green is soft and friendly. It suits a first impression better than a bold color would.
Which size for her
22 in
$75 |
A modest gift: bag handle or small neck knot. Right if the visit is casual. |
26 in
$97 |
Neck knot, headband, bag roll. The size we suggest for a first meeting. |
36 in
$153 |
Shoulder cover, head wrap. For a holiday visit or a big family dinner. |
44 in
$197 |
A shawl. Better saved for the second or third visit. |
For a first meeting, the 26 is right: generous, not overwhelming.
Is it real silk?
Yes, Grade 5A mulberry silk, all of it. An outside lab confirmed it. The Textile Testing Center belongs to the Vietnam Textile Research Institute.
Test it at home with the small silk cutting in the box.
Burn a corner of it over a sink. Silk burns with a smell like burning hair and leaves a soft ash that crushes between your fingers. Polyester melts into a hard bead. Keep children and anything flammable well away. It is a home check, not lab proof.
ELLE Vietnam and Harper's Bazaar Vietnam have both covered our studio.
What if she does not like the color?
Returns are accepted for 30 days, unused, unwashed and unworn, in the original box. Take store credit instead of a refund and we add 15%.
If you know she dresses darker, the dark red is the same lotus.
Is the fabric made from lotus?
No. The lotus is printed by hand. The fabric is 100% Grade 5A mulberry silk.
Why $75 to $197
Every hem is rolled and stitched by hand. That takes close to an hour, even on a small square. Each face of the silk is printed separately. There is one screen and one pass for every color. Our studio redrew the motif by hand from archive sources.
Wear the 26 inch once a week for five years. That is under 40 cents a wear.
The 36 uses nearly twice the silk of the 26.
We make everything in our own Hanoi atelier and ship straight to you, with the import duty paid.
Will it arrive before the visit?
1 to 3 business days of processing in Hanoi, then 9 to 15 business days to a US address.
Allow up to 18 business days, about three and a half weeks. Ship it to yourself and bring it.
Duties and returns
Duties: we pay the US import duty, so you owe nothing at the door.
Returns: 30 days, unused, unwashed and unworn, in the original box. Change-of-mind return postage is paid by you. Choose store credit instead of a refund and we add 15%.
Who it is right for
Your partner's mother, first meeting The 26, handed over in its box.
Future in-laws at the holidays Pink and green is warm and easy.
A host family abroad A gift with a story from Hanoi.
How it arrives
A rigid gift box with a matching bag. Inside, the scarf rests in tissue. A story card names the motif and its dynasty. An illustrated guide shows more than 20 ways to tie it. A care card and a small silk cutting complete it. There is nothing for you to wrap.
Sending it straight to her? Use her address for shipping and yours for billing. Put your message in Order Notes. We write it by hand on a card. No price appears anywhere in the parcel.
How to care for it
Every 3 to 5 wears is enough. Silk does not hold dust.
Cold water with shampoo or body wash, not laundry detergent. Squeeze, never wring. Dry flat in the shade. Iron on the lowest silk setting while it is still damp.
Specifications
| Material |
100% Grade 5A mulberry silk, with a lotus print |
| Weight |
16 momme |
| Print |
Hand screen-printed on both faces |
| Edges |
Hand-rolled, hand-stitched |
| Motif |
Imperial Lotus (Co Do Lien Hoa), Thang Long, 11th to 15th century |
| Colorway |
Pink and green |
| Sizes |
22, 26, 36 and 44 in (55, 65, 90 and 110 cm) |
| Tested |
Textile Testing Center, Vietnam Textile Research Institute |
| Made in |
Hanoi, Vietnam |
Also worth a look: Pink and green, 26 in · Green silk necklace, $64 · All Imperial Lotus
