When a connoisseur found pongee in the Edo period, it was farmers' working clothing, and it eventually became popular because the color was austerely elegant and it didn't have the silky luster although it was made of silk, all of which made the fabric seem chic, and people showed their good taste wearing pongee.
紬はもともと野良着であったのを江戸時代の通人が見出し、色合いが渋い上に絹なのに絹らしい光沢を持たない、さりげなく趣味の良さを主張できる粋な反物として人気を博した。