Uncloaking Some Of The Confusing Terms Behind Luxury Bed Linens To Make Buying Easier
Posted: Saturday, January 16, 2010
by Anthony Davis
Can you define luxury? It's different for everything, and the answer isn't always cut and dry. Often times, different people perceive luxury in different ways. In cars, for example, luxury might mean big, squishy seats. Or maybe a quiet, high horsepower engine. Some would say it's the technical gadgetry that defines luxury in a car. Manufacturers seem to feel that it's a combination of things, but they differ in how they go about it. Luxury bedding is also a matter of perspective.
The traditional stuffing for the duvet is down from the Eider Duck, called Eiderdown. The duvet was not invented with luxury in mind, but rather to keep warm using something nearby. Now that duvets can be found all over the world, those still made with Eiderdown definitely fall under the category of luxurious bedding. A duvet generally replaces comforters and blankets, and is then itself covered since the Eiderdown is difficult to clean.
What Makes Luxury Bed Sheets?
Bed sheets are normal, but not all are luxury bed sheets. There are several different ways to measure quality in bed sheets, though only a few are used everywhere. This is thread count, as well as the threads' country of origin. Choosing your luxury bedding should involve more research than just those terms, but they're the two you'll see most often advertised. The best, softest luxury bed linens don't necessarily have the highest thread count, or come from Egypt.
What Is Matelass?
Matelass is more of a method of assembly than a luxury bed linen of its own. The word, in its native French tongue, means "padded". Ironically, Matelass in luxury bedding sets should refer to a thick, quilted luxury bed linen that does not have padding inside of it. It may have a generic stitched pattern, or an elaborate design. Although Matelass is sometimes made with other materials, you'll often find that these luxury bed linens are 100% cotton.
The Coverlet
The coverlet, which typically sits atop the duvet or other thick covers, is generally more decorative than functional. Coverlets can be found being used as picnic or throw blankets in addition to adorning the random luxury bed. Their purpose is less to keep warm than to decorate and, as such, they're not terribly thick. Duvet covers have been steadily replacing coverlets in most luxury bedding ensembles for quite a while, though there are still coverlets available for purchase. You'll usually find them in a less expensive luxury bedding set, or packaged alone.
To learn more about luxury bed linens, check out Luxury Bedding Info.
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