From the rich to the lofty to the gorgeous, bedding defines the room where many people spend one-third of their time. It only makes sense to outfit your bed with layers of the best-feeling, best-looking, most slumber-indulgent bedding. The fabric, weave and fiber of a bedding item is largely responsible for how the item performs, looks and feels.
Weaves are often mistaken for fabrics, but the two are actually very different. A fabric is the physical material of a product, while a weave is the style and technique used to create a fabric. For example, flannel can be made from cotton, polyester, wool or just about any combination of fabric, but it's the weave that gives a garment or bedding item its signature look and feel.
Acrylic: A soft, synthetic fabric with the bulk and hand of wool. It is lightweight, retains its shape well, dries quickly and is non-allergenic. Acrylic is easily damaged by heat, so it must be ironed with care.
Bamboo (Rayon from Bamboo): Inherently silky-soft and comfortable, rayon from bamboo can help to absorb and evaporate moisture.
Cambric: A cotton fabric that resembles linen. It has good strength and is lint free.
Canvas: A heavy, tightly woven fabric. Also called duck cloth.
Chambray: A dressier class of fabrics that includes plain weave, yard dyed, cotton or synthetic fabrics constructed from colored yarn and white filling.
Chenille: A fuzzy fabric featuring yarns with pile protruding around them.
Cotton: Soft and breathable, cotton is the world's most popular natural fiber and is grown throughout the world. While it is comfortable and absorbent, it also drapes nicely and retains its color and strength. To create a truly premium product, cotton is sometimes combed to remove short fibers and make the longer, more prized fibers align more uniformly. This process creates a truly premium product. Long-Staple Cotton is a classification for any cotton with fibers from 1-1/8" to 2-1/2" long. The longer the staple length of the fibers, the better the quality of thread is produced. Outstanding types of this cotton are Egyptian, Pima and Sea Island.
Corduroy: Cut pile fabric with ribs formed by using extra filling.
Crepe: A crinkled or grained surface fabric.
Damask: A glossy jacquard reversible fabric with a flat pattern.
Egyptian Cotton: Egyptian cotton is one of the finest cotton fibers grown today. The arid climate of Egypt, with hot days and cool nights, produces cotton with fibers that are long, soft and lightweight, but very strong. The smaller yarn produced by Egyptian cotton fibers allows for more threads per square inch to be used. Yarns produced with this fiber retain strength and softness throughout the many processes of spinning, weaving and finishing, producing fabric that is soft, luxurious and silky to the touch.
Flannel: A twill weave brushed on both sides to create a soft, warmth-trapping surface; Will feel softer after each washing.
Fleece: A knit fabric with a soft nap. Fleece fabric can be constructed with synthetic or natural fibers and provides good insulating properties without too much weight.
Jacquard: The jacquard weave was invented by Frenchman Joseph Marie Jacquard and is used to produce intricate, woven-in patterns or figures all over fabrics. It is woven on a jacquard loom which differs from a standard loom in that the loom has a jacquard attachment or a punch card. In a jacquard loom, the warp yarns are individually controlled and not in groups. This allows for creating more complex designs. Fabrics of the jacquard weave involve more time and skill in making the jacquard cards to produce a new pattern. Woven jacquard fabrics typically use multiple colors, have a lustrous look and are generally stronger and more resilient than fabrics with basic weaves.
Jersey: A single-knit, plain-stitched fabric.
Linen: Linen is an elegant, smooth, cool and durable fabric. Made from flax, it is the strongest of all vegetable fibers and is even stronger than cotton. Flax is one of the oldest textile fibers, with fragments of linen fabric found in prehistoric dwellings in Switzerland and linen mummy wraps found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Linen has a distinctive luster from natural wax content and is highly absorbent. It comes naturally in shades ranging from creamy white to light tan, but is easily dyed and retains that color well. Linen was extremely popular until the 18th century, when cotton surpassed it because of the invention of power spinning. While prized for its beauty and durability, its poor elasticity makes it difficult to iron.
Lyocell: A fiber manufactured from cellulose. It has a similar hand and drape to rayon, but is stronger, more durable and often machine washable. Lyocell is rich in color and has a subtle luster. It has good absorbency and resists wrinkling and shrinkage.
Microfiber: Microfibers are tiny synthetic fibers. They measure less than one denier in size. They are one of the most commonly used fabrics in the upholstery industry; this is because of their ability to repel moisture and their strength and durability against wear and tear. This fabric can be used to make woven, non-woven and knitted textiles. Microfibers are also very soft to the touch, so they are great in water repellent clothing.
Modal: An innovative fiber manufactured from cellulose. Modal fabrics remain soft and lustrous after repeated washings and are very comfortable to wear.
Nylon: A synthetic fabric that is exceptionally strong, elastic, easy to care for, lightweight and resistant to wrinkling.
Percale: Known as a plain weave, percale is a simple weave used in the majority of bedding and bed sheets. A plain weave produces a strong and even fabric.
Pima Cotton: Grown in the southwestern United States and South America, Pima cotton is high quality and long staple. The hot, dry climates of these locations allow for the control of moisture and provide the long growing season needed to produce Pima cotton. It is made from the same plant as Egyptian cotton. Known for producing rich, extra-long staple fibers prized for their strength and absorbency, Pima is considered to be a superior blend of cotton. With its staple length of 1-3/8" or longer, Pima cotton is stronger, more durable and less prone to pilling. The uniformity of the fiber density and weight allow it to absorb dye more evenly and retain color longer. Products made from Pima cotton may have a longer lifespan, softer feel and a better drape.
Pique: Knit fabric with raised cords that make up the weave.
Polyester: A manufactured fiber with high strength and abrasion resistance. Often blended with cotton.
Poplin: A tightly woven blended fabric made by using ribs or ridges on a plain weave.
Rayon: A fiber manufactured from cellulose. Rayon is soft, breathable, moisture absorbent and easily dyed in vivid colors. It is prone to wrinkling.
Sateen: A weave that produces a very smooth, lustrous surface effect. Fabrics are soft, have a smooth hand and a gentle, subtle luster, and are luxuriously soft.
Satin: A weave with interlaced yarns, having no visible pattern. Creates a smooth shiny surface effect. Satin weaves often use high-luster filament yarns.
Seersucker: A lightweight fabric with crinkle achieved by varying the tensions in warp yarns.
Silk: A luxurious, natural fiber with great strength and brilliant luster. It absorbs moisture, which makes it both cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Silk drapes well, retains its shape and is easily dyed. When considering silk sheets, pay attention to the "momme weight" which measures the weight of silk. A very low momme count means the sheets won't be as durable as a higher number because they are thinner. The ideal momme weight for silk sheets is between 12 and 19.
Sofloft®: A slick polyester fiber that, when added to bedding, provides loftiness and comfort.
Spandex: A strong, synthetic fabric that is stretchable. Often used in combination with other fabrics to make apparel items such as swimwear and undergarments.
Supima Cotton: "Supima" is the trademark name used to promote textile and apparel products made with 100% American Pima cotton. The name "Supima" is an abbreviation for Superior Pima. Because of the fineness of Supima cotton, more fibers can be spun into a yarn of a given count, enhancing the feel, softness, drape-ability and brilliance of color of a fabric.
Taffeta: Crisp and smooth plain weave with a sheen.
Terry Cloth: Loop pile covering the entire surface of a fabric, adept at absorbing moisture.
Twill: A basic weave in which the fabrics are constructed by interlacing yarns in a progressive alternation, creating a diagonal effect. Twill woven fabric will hold its shape and leads to less wrinkles. Denim is a type of twill weave.
Velour: Refers to cut pile cloths in general.
Velvet: Densely woven cut pile with a rich texture.
Wool: Natural fabric or fibers made from the fleece of sheep or other animals. Wool is comfortable, durable, resistant to soiling and pilling, and is an excellent insulator. Angora, cashmere and mohair are examples of specific types of wool.