Saturday, June 20, 2009

Why do you like linen sheets?

I'm curious to know why others are drawn to things made from linen, especially linen sheets as they are the most tactile way of experiencing linen. There seems to be two camps: Those who, without question, want linen sheets, linen napkins, linen towels, etc. and need only to decide on colors, styles, and their budget. Then there are others, perhaps less knowledgeable or particular about fabrics, who never thought of sleeping on linen sheets and probably need to try it before they will commit.

To me, linen feels supremely natural, like spreading out on cool dry grass in the summer to watch the clouds roll by. Spreading freshly laundered linen sheets out on the bed is like laying down an oasis of goodness from the earth. I love sleeping on linen sheets because they always feel cool and dry. The weight and tensile flutter of the linen has a substantial feeling of quality.

Today I received a message from a woman interested in linen sheets. She was interested in rougher, heavier feeling linen. She said the rough heavy linen reminds her of family heirlooms and things passed down from one generation to the next. She specifically didn't want the linen to be too soft. From my experience, all linen becomes soft with time and additional washing, nonetheless, her request got me thinking about why others enjoy linen. Please feel free to leave a message and join the conversation.