Lovers of luxury bedding--like us--are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing bed linen. You can choose from cotton, silk, polyester or bamboo fibers, or try a newcomer like Tencel fabric, which is made from the fibers of the eucalyptus tree. With such a wide range of fabrics to choose from, it's all the more surprising that cotton bedding is the number one choice for a comfortable night's sleep.
Cotton is one of the oldest textiles known to man––archaeological finds of cotton fabric have been dated to 5000 BC. dated. With a cultivation area of 2.5% of all agricultural land, cotton is also one of the most commonly cultivated raw materials in the world. The appeal of cotton, which has lasted for thousands of years, is explained by the breathability, suppleness, durability and easy cleaning of the fabric. Cotton's natural rival--silk--is twice as expensive to produce and requires three times the care and maintenance of cotton.
Once you have decided on cotton, your next choice is the type of cotton and the type of fabric. For Marso Living products we use a specific type of Supima cotton that is grown in the USA and shipped directly to our factory in Portugal. Egyptian cotton is usually touted as the best choice for supple, silky covers and sheets, but we didn't see any noticeable difference in the end product––the Supima cotton actually felt better thanks to its finer thread count. We were also concerned about the ethical implications of processing a water-consuming plant from the Nile region––a region regularly affected by droughts due to climate change and population growth.
As previously mentioned, each type of cotton comes with a specific thread count that determines how the fabric feels against your skin. The higher the thread count, the more cotton threads are woven into one square inch of fabric. Long fiber cotton offers you a durable, silky fabric with a high thread count, because the individual threads can no longer be distinguished. With short-staple cotton of the same thread count, the result is a fabric that's stiff and unyielding, and that teases rather than flatters your body. As a rule of thumb, we recommend a cotton fabric between 200 and 600 thread count when choosing your bedding. Our Supima cotton is ideal for tightly woven fabrics and we use a 400 thread count to make sheets that hug your mattress snugly.
The last choice you have to make concerns the finishing of the fabric. Even the best material can be ruined by sloppy sewing, snapped thread, or loose buttons. A good, neat finish to the fabric will prevent fraying and provide you with bedding that will stand up to the rigors of countless nights. In addition, high-quality bed linen helps keep your pillows and duvets in shape, thereby extending their lifespan. Finally, quality bed linen is always a feast for the eyes and your skin, and will bring a smile to your face as you enter and exit your bedroom.