In Search for the Elegant Bedding

Although science insists that sleeping is an instinctive activity that humans share with other animals, the personal experiences of people, especially of women, know that sleeping is not a mere activity. Sleeping is an important aspect of culture. Sleeping is a way of life. How you sleep and where you sleep is an integral part of your personality. Women who view sleeping as their chance to be restored and revitalized take time and effort to invest in having luxurious elegant bedding.

However, if this is your first time to invest in elegant bedding, doing research is the initial step in searching for the elegant bedding that will last you for a long time. In this research stage, you have probably encountered some terms that refer to cotton, such as Swiss, Pima, and Egyptian. Are they the same? Are they different? If these are different, then what makes them different from each other?

First of all, not all elegant bedding being sold by various can be considered to be made of real cotton. Some luxury bedding ensembles claim to be made of certain materials such as percale, pique and plisse. All these terms, although they sound sophisticated, are the same in one aspect: all are cotton-type fabrics. This means that they are not real cotton. The percale and plisse are lightweight but the former is fine-yam combed while the latter is puckered-striped. The pique is medium weight and is usually crisp to the touch. A real cotton fabric is the flannel. But for the most comfortable luxury bedding, the best one is the Egyptian cotton.

What about the Pima and the Swiss cotton fabrics? All these are mere names. "Pina cotton," along with other names such as "Sea Island cotton," "Algodon pais," and "Creole cotton" all refer to one thing: Egyptian cotton. "Swiss cotton" simply means that the cotton was manufactured in Switzerland. But what is so special about Switzerland? It is simply the first country that became known in producing large quantities of cotton fabrics. The cotton plants also thrive well in the Swiss climate and the people, who wisely recognized that their land is not abundant with raw materials, turned to the cotton plant and produced different kinds of fibers that vary in color, strength, and texture. Of course, all these are cotton fibers. But the Swiss eventually became known as the experts in producing the finest and highest quality cotton, including Egyptian cotton.

Egyptian cotton is produced from a particular species scientifically known as Gossypium barbadense. It is considered of finest quality because of the naturally long fine staples of the cotton plant. This plant can be found in South America but its fame grew out of Egypt, thus the given name "Egyptian cotton." This cotton plant is abundant in the Nile Valley. Apparently, the Egyptians recognized the usefulness of this particular fabric in creating luxuriously soft and comfortable linens, textiles, and bedding. This particular use of cotton became popular in Europe. And Egyptian cotton's popularity eventually reached the United States. Local cotton fabric manufacturers in the United States have found another cotton plant with long staples. This is the Gossypium hirsutum. It can produce cotton fabric that is similar to the original Egyptian cotton but some picky luxury bedding experts believe that the original still has the finer quality.