An ABCs of Bed Linen

December 22, 2017

The true source of luxury is fine bed linens. The proverbial princess could feel a pea through twenty mattresses, but she would have found rough sheets even more disturbing. Fine Bed Linens come in a variety of materials, colors, and types, including sheets, pillow cases, comforters, duvets, pillow shams, bolsters and bed skirts. A pillow sham is a pillow case that covers the entire pillow, rather than leaving one end exposed. A bed skirt coves the box spring and lower half of the bed and helps complete the aesthetic of the bed. If you really want to pamper yourself, soft, comfortable bed linen is essential. High quality bed linens are essential to a truly comfortable bed.

As one would expect, Queen Elizabeth II grants a Royal Warrant to her preferred purveyor of fine bed linens. "Queen Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth" are popular trade names for purveyors and manufacturers of linens, presumably mostly without the Royal Warrant.

Early beds and linens were very rough by today's standards. Today's fine linens depend on modern, mechanical methods of spinning thread and weaving cloth. The first sheets, blankets, and comforters would not qualify as linens by today's standards. The first factories in the United States in the 1820s manufactured cotton thread and cloth, making today's bedding, as well as clothes and other cotton items, readily available for the first time.

A key measurement for bed sheets is thread count, with anything over 180 considered fine and over 200 being percale. Thread count is also called threads per square inch. It is derived, as the name suggests, by counting the number of threads in both the length and width of the fabric. Very high thread counts can be misleading, as they sometimes count all the threads in plied yarns, which consist of multiple threads twisted together. Another way to measure cloth is by ends per inch, which is the number of warp threads per inch. The higher the ends per inch, the finer the fabric.

The best bed sheets are usually one hundred percent cotton, satin, or, as the name suggests, actual linen, woven from flax into a range of different weights that are considered the height of luxury. Satin sheets will also typically make you feel cooler. At the other extreme, for added warmth, consider flannel sheets. Although linen bed sheets are the most expensive, they wear very well and can last a very long time. Linen bed sheets have a smoother texture and do not absorb moisture as readily as cotton. They typically get softer with each washing.

Many prominent designers, including Horchow, Laura Ashley, Ralph Lauren, Izod, Vera Wang, and Tommy Hilfiger, include bed linens among their products. These designers offer all the components for a comfortable bed in a wide range of colors and patterns.

So, if you want to treat yourself like a queen, an easy way to do so is with high quality bed linens.