We believe that Egypt has some of the best fabrics in the world. We also believe in investing in loungewear and home essentials that will bring us comfort, joy and happiness, and that will last over the years. This is why we only use natural fabrics of the best quality for all our products.
When we started nillens in 2011 with the goal of creating exceptional quality bedding in beautiful designs, we knew that would only be possible if we used the best fabrics available. At nillens, all our bedding is 100% Egyptian cotton because we believe that this is the best cotton around. Our bedding collection comes in several thread counts and weaves, from 300 thread count percale to 800 thread count sateen. Below is a short guide to help you choose the right bedding for you.
Thread count (or "TC") refers to the number of threads woven together in a square inch of fabric. Higher TC fabrics have finer threads so that more threads can be woven together within the same amount of space.
Generally, higher TC fabrics are denser and silkier whereas lower TC fabric is lighter and more airy. However, higher TC bedding is not necessarily "better." It may feel softer and more silky, but not everybody loves the silky feel. Lower TC bedding is more crisp and tends to stay cool. From our experience, lots of people love lower TC fabrics for their fresh feel.
The way in which fabric is woven also has a major effect on its feel. Percale and sateen are two different types of weaves. Percale is a basic criss cross weave (like the diagram above) and sateen is made using a satin weave structure, which is a little more complicated. Percale fabric tends to be crisp and cool and sateen has a silkier, softer feel. Each fabric has its unique character and like thread count, weave is also a matter of preference.
Egyptian cotton is acknowledged to be the finest cotton in the world because of its extra long fibers. The moist atmosphere of the Nile valley, where the cotton plant is grown, creates the ideal condition to raise these long fibres. The long fibre of Egyptian cotton allows it to be woven into thin, strong threads that can be used to weave high thread count sheets that are extra soft and lustrous.
