Bed Linens

The origin of bed linen goes back a long way. The earliest humans would have simply used straw mats for sleeping, possibly with animal furs for warmth and a degree of comfort. In some countries the hammock became commonplace, removing some of the need for bedding if the temperature was warm enough. For the rest of us the history of bed linen pretty much follows the history of fabric weaving.

Some of the earliest bed sheets were made of linen, hence the term bed linen or simply linens; the term linens is used today to describe any items of fabric used on the bed, including sheets, pillow cases, duvet cases, etc. Linen is one of the world's earliest textiles and is made from woven flax and was especially popular with the ancient Egyptians. Traditional linens were white in colour.

Today you can buy bed "linens" in a wide variety of natural fabrics. Cotton - especially Egyptian cotton - is a very popular choice with silk being a high end luxury item. Actual linen bedding is fairly rare as the fabric has become relatively expensive. Make sure you buy the right size set as standard bed sizes vary, especially between countries.

There are also bedsheets etc made from man made fibres. These tend to be affordable and easy to care for but have rather fallen out of popularity, although polyester blended with cotton is still common. Some man made fabrics are so cheap to make that hotels can use them for disposable bedding rather than wash and reuse sheets.

For the ultimate in luxury I'd always choose a natural silk set if money were no object.