It's a pity that printing technology hasn't come up with the tactile equivalent of surround sound or scratch and sniff. If it had, you would be able to feel why this blanket is so truly, madly covetable. Yes, its honeyed colour is rich, warm, elegant - and magically able to complement almost any other colour. And, for sure, the extra-wide, all-the-way-around border looks very luxurious - and makes a lovely textural contrast. But with blankets, more than most things, it's the feel that makes the difference.
I knew it was silk - and the silk-satin border came as no surprise - but when I picked it up, it was so absurdly soft (every soft cliché you can think of: cloud-soft, kitten-soft, baby's bottom-soft, and then some) I assumed it must be silk and pashmina or even silk and shatoosh (surely not, since that would be illegal). But no, the entire blanket is pure, unadulterated silk. Those of my friends and colleagues who touched it all instantly got that slightly glazed look that says "oooohhhhh?" and translates roughly as: I want to wrap myself up in this for the rest of my life.
In the absence of touchy-feely printing technology so you'd know what we all mean, let me pass on a little gem from my beauty-guru friend: sleeping on silk makes you less prone to get wrinkles - and it's very good for your hair. All that soft slidey-ness, apparently, which scrunchy cotton (even zillion-thread count) just can't do. So while you're more likely to sleep under this blanket, rather than on it, don't let that stop you. Just get the matching pillowcases as well.
Silk blanket by Gingerlily, Dh1,000 to 1,630 depending on size, from Comfort Plus, Villa 883, Al Wasl Road/Al Manara Street, Umm Suqeim 2, Dubai, 04 394 9226