Paper or Silk?

During World War II, maps were printed on silk. Today they’re returning as a fashion statement.

We all know that if you’re lost, whether or not you stop to ask for directions may depend on the gender of the driver.

And if you didn’t check MapQuest before you left home, and if you don’t have OnStar or some other GPS system in your car, and if your console doesn’t look like the flight deck of the Starship Enterprise, then you might have to rely on a quaint, old fashioned map.

So you pull over and unfold it, and try to locate your position.

GPS. OnStar. MapQuest. But now there’s a new kind of map.

Try silk.

After all, paper crinkles, wrinkles, rustles, crumples, and — when wet — paper maps are utterly useless.

So if you’re looking to travel light, look smart, and carry less, and you’re headed to Amsterdam, Budapest, Lisbon, London, Moscow, New York, Seville or Istanbul, a silk map might be right for you.

They are packable, collapsible, durable and practical, even in a Paris downpour. You can wear a silk map as a scarf to warm your...