Give your bed a touch of luxury with sheets that have a cool, classy feel like those found in a five-star hotel. Megan Weber can tell you how.
Weber, a buyer for the Ritz-Carlton company, helps hunt down the linens for the hotel chain.
But don't expect to re-create a night at the Ritz for Motel 6 prices. King-size sheets with princely aspirations start at $300 per set and average about $500.
At ABC Carpet & Home in Delray Beach, Fla., linens in rich, lush fabrics by top makers, such as Signoria Firenze and Cottimaryanne, stack the shelves. The common thread? Almost all start with extra-long Egyptian cotton, which has fibers that grow almost a half-inch longer than most other cotton fibers.
Cleaned of impurities and combed smooth, the soft, silky strands create "the best sheets you can buy," says Weber. "The more you wash them, the softer they get."
Weber stocks Ritz-Carlton retail stores with Egyptian-cotton sheets by Fili D'oro, in the Fili Casa line ($295 for a king-size set at www.ritzcarlton.com).
Pima cotton, which originated in the U.S., is a respectable alternative, she says. Its extra-long fibers produce a similarly smooth hand, or feel. (Shorter cotton fibers break and twist, and eventually turn nubby.) Look for labels that specify "all-Egyptian" or "Supima," the trademark for all-pima fabric.
But unless you can live with a few creases, you'll have to press all-cotton sheets. People who abhor ironing often compromise with cotton-polyester sheets, which look good out of the dryer but lack the cool, breathable feel of all-cotton.
Matouk, an American company, makes a sheet of Egyptian cotton and polyester whose relatively soft texture and elegant styling make it a popular choice. Called Portofino, the sheets run $275 for a king-size set (for retailers, visit www.matouk.com).
Some sheetmakers forego cotton in favor of wood pulp, which can be dissolved in a solvent and then spun and woven. Such lyocell fabric is also known by the brand name Tencel.
Modal, another wood-pulp product, breathes well and is twice as absorbent as cotton. It often shows up at stores, including Bed Bath & Beyond, as stretchy, jersey-like sheets for less than $100.
The best wood-pulp products can be "amazing," says Weber.
At ABC Carpet & Home, she points to a set of sheets, made in Italy, that drape like satin and feel like silk with a dash of cashmere. Called Legna, from SDH Enterprises, they cost $850 for a king-size set (for stores, go to www.sdhonline.com).