~ Wear and Care ~ Silk is as versatile as it is beautiful, and with some care (and a bit of personal flair), you can keep your look fresh and stylish!  Wear Truly, the looks and options offered by silk scarves and veils are limited only by your own imagination.  A silk scarf,  whether tied smartly, held in place by a vintage embellishment, or draped fluidly over your neck and shoulders, is a sensible way to breathe new life in to old outfits.  Switching out a few inexpensive scarves on a favorite outfit can change your look at the blink of an eye. For ideas on ways to add a rectangular scarf into your look, check out this little idea guide (word file) and be sure to browse the photos elsewhere on the site.  Send Basinah your own ideas and photos of how you're wearing your silk for posting here!        Ideas to try:      ~  Experiment with different ways          of wrapping the silk around          your neck.  From simple to          complex, the sky's the limit!      ~  Place two scarves together          and tie to give a "reversible"          look.      ~  Wear in your hair or wrapped to          cover your whole head (great for          women who have no hair)      ~  Use as a shawl or belt       ~  Convert into a table runner       ~  Use in your decorating: drape over          framed prints and mirrors or use          as a valence Care Silk is more durable than many people think and by caring for your silk properly it should bring years of enjoyment.  Basinah's silks are made to be used--which means they are also meant to be washed and ironed.  The dye is steam set for colorfastness and then rinsed with a special detergent meant to minimize the colors bleeding onto each other when wet. When it's time to wash your silk, simply clean a sink (the bathroom or kitchen sink will be fine) and swish the silk out in cool water.  Add a few drops of detergent when hand washing to help remove the body oils and odors the silk has collected, and then rinse the whole items under cool, running water (remember: the warmer the water, the more likely the silk is to shrink).  After rinsing, wring or blot the silk, allow it to air dry, and then carefully iron with a steam iron.   Never put your silk in a dryer; the heat, along with the residue left from dryer sheets, will damage your silk. Dyeing silk is a highly variable process and, as such, the results will vary.  The age and concentration of the dye, the amount of time in the steamer, and the amount of time in the rinse will all influence the final product.  The colors on my silks should remain strong, however, and bleeding should be minimal.