A Guide To Linens

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Threads Count. But Not For Everything.

Everyone seems to be counting threads these days to boast about the quality of their bed sheets. Threadcount is a measure of the number of yarns woven into one square inch of fabric. Yet to understand what creates the softest hand, the finest drape, the most lustrous finish, and the world's most luxurious linens, you must consider more than just thread count.

Consider this analogy. If you popped the cork on a 90 year old bottle of wine that started out as a sour grape, you'd basically have a 90 year old bottle of plunk. Age is only half the story in a good wine.

Your good night's sleep on luxury linen starts with the quality of the fiber itself, and the yarn made from it. It should come as no surprise that the fiber (remember that grape?) in the sheets you lay on will determine whether you just plain sleep, or sleep in luxury.

Long staple cotton is the key ingredient in making sense of threadcount. A staple is what you pull from a ball of cotton. Shorter staple cottons can result in yarns that break and fabrics that pill. Many inferior, short-staple cotton yarns can be jammed into a square inch to create a high thread count, but the resulting fabric can feel heavy and coarse.

The world's finest cotton is grown on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. While others may claim their sheets are Egyptian cotton, few are directly involved in the creation of sheets every step of the way, allowing only hand-selected very best cotton from the Nile River valley to be included. We can make that claim.

Once the superiority of the cotton is ensured, the raw fiber can be cleaned and spun into smooth, silken yarns by master craftsmen in Italy. How the world's finest cotton percales, sateens and jacquards are created are trade secrets, but you are the beneficiary.

Attention to detail is also crucial in the fabric finishing and sewing, dramatically affecting the feel and the quality of the final product. With today's deep mattresses care is taken that fabrics are cut generously to fit well and to allow for shrinkage.

The end result of all this care and attention is a difference you can feel. Depending on the age you live to, you spend a third, (maybe 30 years!) of your life in bed. It can be a nightly pleasure if you remember that threadcount is only half the story.