Buying Sheets 101

                                                            


“I want your sheets!”

Well, you can’t have them.  Not because I don’t love you…they just don’t make them anymore.  Most of the American mills (including Fieldcrest/Cannon that made our wonderful Charisma Dot sheets) closed several years ago. The linens we have purchased since then just don’t match up. And beware of the “Charisma” sheets out there now…they are NOT the same.

My major complaints:

            ~ It is hard to find a fitted sheet that actually FITS.  Nieman Marcus carried a great dotted sheet that was very close to our old ones but the bottoms were so large we could never get the bed made tight.  We use the top sheets and pillowcases we purchased, but folded the bottoms and stored them away for emergencies.

We have nice double pillow-top mattresses but they only require about a 13” pocket.  The smallest most places carry now is 15.”  I won’t buy anything that claims, “one size fits all” or is deeper than 15.”  There is a new place online called Cozy Town Linens that has numerous sizes for tops and bottoms (and they are American made).  I just found them and have not had a chance to buy from them yet. I will keep you posted when we do.

            ~ “Wrinkle Free.”  If you want a cotton percale sheet, there is no such thing as wrinkle free. You can either get a polyester/cotton blend that is or stick with 100% pima or Egyptian cotton.  We fold our fitted sheets right out of a hot dryer so they smooth out when folding.  I still iron the tops and Mike irons the pillowcases.  It may sound like trouble but it is one of the reasons our sheets feel so nice.

            ~ Poorly finished edges.  If I am paying a lot for linens that will last for years, I want them to be finished properly. The fitted should have elastic ALL the way around.  I prefer top sheets to be hemmed all the way around but did have one set with well-designed selvage edges that lasted as long at the sheets.  My biggest complaint is with the pillowcases.  First of all, I want both sides and the bottom seamed (not just a piece folded over and sewn down one side).  And, I want the hem sewn AFTER the seam so it folds over the rough edge.  [see photos]

The best:  Both side are seamed and the hem is sewn over the rough edges on both sides.

Not quite as good: Seamed on both sides and hemmed over one side only?

  



Both sides are seamed but the hem is seamed as well.

 Only one side has a seam and the hem is seamed.

~ Confusing thread count/cotton descriptions.  It used to be the higher the thread count, the better the sheet.  That was because the finer (longer, stronger) Egyptian cotton strands took up less room on the loom so there were more of them per inch. America got into the fine cotton business with its version of pima or “Supima” cotton sheets.  So look for those terms (Egyptian cotton or Supima cotton).

Thread count got tricky.  Many suppliers were making poor quality fibers stronger by wrapping two strands together and calling what used to be a 200 thread count sheet a 400 count and charging more. I have heard that this practice is being cracked down on but beware.  If you are getting a 600 thread count set of sheets for under $100, there is probably a reason you will notice only after the first washing.  The old Charisma sheets were 360 thread count Supima cotton (percale). They ran about $200 a set back then and were worth it as I am still using some of them 14 years after we opened.

Most sheets anymore are called “Sateen” but are mainly cotton that has been brushed to make it feel softer.  They never feel crisp to me and have a tendency to pill up.

Flannel sheets are a little different in that they they are supposed to be brushed and are judged by the oz. not the thread count.  Most regular flannel will be 4-5 oz.  But, pay a little more and get the 6-6.5oz.  It is well worth the money.  And they are oh so cozy in the winter (and I use the flat sheets as summer blankets)

Suppliers I always look at:

The Country Store

Linensource

Lands End

Neiman Marcus

(and now) Cozy Town


In conclusion, if you want sheets that feel like ours, get:

1. Pima, Supima or Egyptian cotton
2. Percale, (not Sateen)
3. 350-400 thread count
4. Measure your mattress for correct drop/pocket size
5. Get your spouse to iron them!