Sheets that improve the quality of your time in bed – however you like to spend it.
Sheets that improve the quality of your time in bed – however you like to spend it.
In them we curl, tumble, sprawl, snuggle. Though beds are purportedly designed for sleeping, there is plenty of action between the sheets – from intense moments of passion to blissful hours of languid intimacy. And because we are tactile creatures, bedclothes can affect the way we experience our time in bed.
Much has been said about thread count, and by now we expect every house-proud person to be suspicious of anything that advertises a thread count higher than 500. So just what do connoisseurs look for while picking out bed linen? “Ensuring our guests have an exceptional night’s rest is key to us. To this end, the bed linen is selected in terms of thread count, composition of fabric, types of cotton, and its weaving design, to name a few,” says Giovanni Viterale, general manager of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. The hotel, which uses 400 thread count-calibre sheets for all rooms, also subjects new bed linen to a few cycles of wash to soften the fabric and ensure a higher level of comfort.
Yet the technical specifications are important only in terms of how translate to sensation on skin. While some might not rest on anything else apart from 100 per cent organic silk charmeuse bedclothes, with hems hand-sewn by maidens in far-flung villages, others’ idea of a perfect cocoon might be fresh, crisp linen sheets smelling of sunshine. The perfect set of bedding is also determined by your sleep routine: whether you are the type who likes to be lulled to sleep by the sound of cicadas coming through your open window, or the type who likes to roll into a ball under flouncy covers, with the air-conditioner turned up to simulate winter in the tropics.
“The perfect sheet is also that which is tastefully appropriate,” says veteran hotelier Anton Kilayko, the director of communications for Hong Kong’s luxury hotel The Murray, slated to open late next year. “I love really thick, high thread count sheets in wintery locations, but if I am on the coast of Tahiti, I would want a bed dressed with light linens. And if I were staying in a historical French chateau or a colonial hotel in Thailand – a destination where silk is traditionally used – silk sheets would add to the authenticity of the experience.” Kilayko notes that there are small, boutique hotels that even change their sheets to suit the time of the year – just as one would switch to different wardrobes for each season. Indeed, they are called bedclothes for a reason – so dress your bed right.
WHEN LESS IS MORE
Herve Martin, CEO of luxury Italian linen brand Frette, shares tips on picking the best sheets for the right fit.
A HIGH THREAD COUNT ISN’T ALWAYS THE BEST CHOICE
“A high thread count means you have a fabric which presents a high density of fibre. Imagine a little piece of fabric with many threads sewn within it. The advantage is that it creates a protective nest to keep you warm. But it also makes the fabric less breathable. Think of it as owning a good quality cashmere sweater – it’s great for countries with winter but not so suitable for humid cities like Singapore.”
ON COTTON VERSUS SILK
“In general, people tend to consider prestigious materials as the best ones. So the tendency is to think you have an exceptional product if it’s made from silk. But sleeping comfort is a personal experience, and I find that silk, as an experience, can sometimes be quite disappointing. Silk tends to slip off your body as you toss and turn, and I like my bed to remain somewhat still and have the sheets stay on me.”
DON’T TOSS SHEETS IN DRYER
“The washing machine dryer will kill the fabric quality. Its rotation is too fast and will cause sheets to stretch and distort.” Instead, hang sheets out to dry.
WHILE SOME MIGHT NOT REST ON ANYTHING ELSE APART FROM 100 PER CENT ORGANIC SILK CHARMEUSE BEDCLOTHES, OTHERS’ IDEA OF A PERFECT COCOON MIGHT BE FRESH, CRISP LINEN SHEETS SMELLING OF SUNSHINE.
BETWEEN THE SHEETS
MATERIAL WORLD
EGYPTIAN COTTON
Made from cotton originally grown in the Nile River Valley, Egyptian cotton is the most luxurious of cotton materials (others being Pima cotton, also known as Supima; and fabric woven from American Upland cotton, usually labelled as “100 per cent cotton”). Yarn spun from hand-harvested Egyptian cotton is the finest and boasts the longest staple fibres – this translates not just to unparalleled durability, but also sensual softness. Cleopatra would approve.
LINEN
Woven from the fibre of the flax plant, linen fabric trumps all other materials in terms of durability – yet it has more than practical appeal. While linen tends to be more stiff and coarse to the touch in comparison with cotton, it softens with each wash and becomes smoother with use. Extremely breathable and with a high moisture absorbency, it makes for comfortable sleeping, especially for those sultry summer evenings when you feel like gazing at the stars from an open window.
SILK
Delightfully lightweight, buttery smooth and with a seductive lustre, mulberry silk sheets simply invite one to “swim” in them. Rather than thread count, silk quality is indicated by momme (mm). The number equates to weight of 100 yards of a 45”-wide fabric in pounds, with high quality silk bedding weighing around 20mm. Cool to the touch, high quality silk sheets are perfect for sweltering nights, yet its high density weave also makes them lovely to curl up in during cold weather.
