Terminology

Perplexed by percale? Baffled by baffles? Hands up, we use some unusual words and phrases when talking about our products. This specialist lingo can sound alien to anyone who doesn’t eat, sleep and breathe bedding; read on to learn more about our product terminology so you can choose the right bedding for better sleep.

If reading the relevant explanation leaves you none the wiser or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, get in touch with us. One of our Bedding Experts will be on hand to help you with your pillow talk. Or any other bedding chat come to that.

Absorption

The attraction and retention of gases or liquids within the pores of a fibre.

All Seasons Duvet

As the name implies, this duvet is manufactured to be suitable for all seasons throughout the year. It consists of a 4.5 tog duvet (Summer) and a 9.0 tog duvet (Spring/Autumn) which attach to one another using buttons, ties or cufflinks, forming a 13.5 tog duvet (Winter).

Anti Allergy

A fibre or material that has undergone a process that makes it less likely to cause an allergic reaction. Our anti-allergy products have been given the ‘Seal of approval’ from Allergy UK, the leading charity which provides help to allergy suffers.

Baffle Wall

A thin gauze-like fabric 'wall' sewn between the top and bottom layers of a duvet shell. These vertical walls create a deeper interior of the duvet, allowing the fill to loft more and fill the pockets more evenly. They also have small openings in each corner allowing the fill to move.

Batiste

Named after French weaver Jean Batiste, this is a very fine 'plain weave' using only combed cotton yarns and given a mercerised finish.

Box Construction

Individual square pockets are permanently sewn in to the casing to ensure that the fill is evenly distributed and remains that way.

Breathability

Fabric that has the ability to wick away moisture and allow water vapour to pass right through it, keeping the sleeper comfortable. Our natural products are notorious for their breathability.

Calender

A machine that process fabric between rollers under heat and pressure to give it shine. Also is used to help with down proofing.

Cambric

A closely woven, cotton fabric finished with a slight gloss on one side. Usually this is the most common down proof fabric.

Cleanliness

Fill that is carefully washed, rinsed and dried, using machinery developed for this specific purpose. Special sanitizing processes are used to ensure this.

Combed Cotton

Cotton that has had the short fibres and breakable fibres removed, which makes it stronger. It is a superior process to the more common treatment called 'carding' because the yarns has no short threads sticking out from them, creating a smoother finish.

Combing

A process by which natural fibres are sorted and straightened; a more refined treatment than carding.

Comforter

A comforter is a type of bedding (alternatively known as a Duvet). A soft flat bag filled with down and/or feathers, an synthetic material (such as microfibre) or a natural material (like wool), and used on a bed as a blanket.

Cotton

Cotton is the fibre from the seedpod of the cotton plant. The quality of cotton depends mostly on the length of the fibre, with a longer fibre being better due to it's strenght and length.

Cotton Types

When referring to bedlinen, we use Indian, Egyptian and Genuisa cotton. In reference to towels, we use cotton such as Turkish, Egyptian and Supima. The different types are used to provide varying levels of quality and feel.

Cufflinks

Similar to a cufflink found on a shirt sleeve, this is a plastic device that enables two duvets to be attached to one another, allowing for customisation of the tog value.

Damask

Damask is a fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibres, with a pattern formed by weaving. The term originally referred to ornamental silk fabrics from Damascus, which were elaborately woven in colours, sometimes with the addition of gold and other metallic threads.

Density

This describes how dense the fibres of down are at its centre. The denser the down, the better it traps air, and the better insulator it is. High density is found only in very mature downs.

Dobby Weave

A decorative weave, characterized by small figures, usually geometric, that are woven into the fabric structure. Dobbies may be of any weight or compactness, with yarns ranging from very fine to coarse and fluffy. Standard dobby fabrics are usually flat and relatively fine or sheer.

Down Cluster

The group of components: down, nestling down, and plumule. These are found in our premium down products, i.e. Hungarian, Canadian, Moskus, Eiderdown. (Down fibre and other components are specifically excluded)

Down Fibre

Individual fibre "arms" that once formed part of a down cluster and have detached from it. The EN standard sets a maximum tolerance for down fibres to be counted as part of the total down content of a fill. This ensures the fill declared is down cluster rich.

Down Proof

Fabric that is down proof (lower air permeability means more down proof) will not leak or bleed feathers and down from the inside. Lower thread count fabrics may be treated with starch sizing to make them 'down proof,' as well.

Dupion Silk

Dupion Silk (meaning double) is produced when two or more silkworms spin their cocoons closely together.

Duvet

A duvet is a type of bedding. A soft flat bag filled with down and/or feathers, an synthetic material (such as microfibre) or a natural material (like wool), and used on a bed as a blanket.

Egyptian Cotton

This is an extra long staple cotton, grown in Egypt. The longer staple of this cotton creates a stronger and finer yarn, feeling softer and more lustrous than regular cotton.

Eiderdown

Eiderdown comes from the Eider duck, and is considered to be the finest quality of all downs. It is also the most expensive. This down locks together, resulting in superior insulating power. The Eider duck is a protected migratory species and down is collected from fledged nests.

Embroidery

Ornamental needlework on fabric either by hand or by machine.

Fabric Forward Law

Where the fabric is woven has to be indicated on the law label. So if the fibre is woven in China then that is what has to show on the law label. For example, the flax for our 100% French linen is sourced from Nieppe on the French/Belgium border and then sent to our expert manufacturers in China to create our wonderful bed linen.

Feather

Collected from ducks or geese, these can provide duvets, pillows and toppers with bulk and structure. We get our feathers as a byproduct of the food industry. We don't partake in or condone live plucking.

Fill Power

A measure that identifies the ability of down to regain its original state and "loft' after pressure. This simulates a down product in use. The higher the fill power number, the greater the recovery of the down to regain it's shape, loft and maintain it's insulating properties.

Flannel

Plain or twill woven cotton or wool fabric that has a surface with a napped finish. The cloth must be made from cotton with a fibre long enough to hold in the yarn, otherwise, the fibres will shed from the flannel or pill into little balls on the surface. Flannel can be brushed to provide extra softness.

Grams per Square Metre (GSM)

GSM stands for "grams per square metre". The higher the rating, the denser the pile will be and therefore the quality also improves. This is because more yarn is used and therefore it makes the towel more absorbent and longer lasting.

Gussets

The side "walls" along the perimeter of a pillow or duvet. Generally supports a construction that allows the fill to fill the space fully and evenly.

Handle

The "feel" of a fabric.

Hollowfibre

A man-made filling that’s made from thousands of hollow microfibre fibres.

Hypo-Allergenic

A fibre or material is deemed hypo-allergenic if it has undergone a process that makes it less likely to cause an allergic reaction. Our anti-allergy products have been given the ‘Seal of approval’ from Allergy UK, the leading charity which provides help to allergy suffers.

Jacquard

This decorative weaving technique was invented by Joseph Jacquard in 1804. A special loom is used to weave a non-linear pattern directly into the fabric; usually a design or shape such as a flower.

Loft

Loft is created by the size, quality and strength of the down cluster. A good measure of loft is fill power.

Matalasse

This means "quilted or padded" in french and is a weaving or stitch technique that creates a decorative texture that appears quilted, but in actuallity is not. Bedding made in this technique is renowned for being thick and soft.

Mercerise

A finishing process for combed cotton that increases the fibre's lustre and affinity for dyes.

Microfibre

Microfibre is a specially light and fine polyester fibre that's air-blown into the duvet casing for good loft and softness. It is designed to emulate the characteristics and feel of down. Microfibre duvets are generally a little more expensive than those made of other types of polyester.

No Mite

Some of our products have the No Mite mark on them. This indicates that they are suitable for anyone who suffers from dust mite allergies.

Percale

A cotton or spun-yarn fabric characterised but it's closely woven fibres, resulting in a smooth fabric without the glossy finish.

Piece Dyed

The fabric as a whole is coloured as a whole after weaving.

Pima Cotton

Pima cotton is a grade of cotton, so named because it is traditionally grown in the southwest United States by Pima Indians. U.S. Pima cotton fibre is among the longest in the world, with an average length over 1-7/16". Its long fibres provide much of its strength.

Piping

A thin tube of fabric that is used to ornament pillows and duvets. Can be made of any variety of fabric types.

Polyester

Polyester is a category of polymers, or, more specifically condensation polymers, which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Usually, polyester refers to cloth woven from polyester fibre. Polyester clothing is generally considered to have a "less natural" feeling to it.

Polyresin

Polyresin is a resin compound generally used for decorative items. It is a sturdy material that can be intricately molded, and is virtually unbreakable.

Protectors

A casing or layer covering a mattress or pillow to help prolong the product's life and protect it from dust, moisture and dirt.

Responsible Down Standard (RDS)

Responsible down standard (RDS) is a voluntary global initiative, which ensures that all feather and down for products have not been subjected to any animal cruelty through creation.

Sateen

A cotton or spun-yard fabric characterised by floats running in the filling direction. Usually is mercerised and has a shine from the finishing process.

Supima Cotton

A higher quality and more exclusive version of Pima cotton. This material is used in our higher end towels.

Swiss Dot

A sheer, crisp cotton fabric with either clipped spot or swivel dots.

Synthetic Fibre

A man-made fibre made from chemicals that were never fibrous in form.

Thread Count (TC)

Measured by adding the number of warp ends per inch and filling picks per inch in the woven fabric. The higher the number, the more dense the yarns are packed together. Unfortunately thread count has come to be the major determinant of quality in the customer's eyes and yarn thickness also plays a significant part in the finished quality. Finer yarns help to create finer fabrics.

Tog

This is a rating system that measures a duvet's ability to retain warmth. The higher the tog rating, the more warmth the duvet will retain.

Topper / Mattress Topper

A layer that is placed atop a mattress to give the user greater levels of comfort. Most of the time, these are filled with a material, similarly to that of a duvet or pillow.

Warp

The yarns that run the length of the loom. The warp yarns are pulled through the loom as the weft or filling yarns are woven across the warp to make the fabric.

Weaving

Weaving is an ancient art of making fabric, with no new types of weaves having been developed since 1747. The warp yarns and weft yarns are interlaced (woven) with each other to make a fabric (vs. a knit where the yarns are looped together).

Weft

The yarns that are woven across the loom. The individual yarns are also known as picks.

Wick

The property of a fibre that allows moisture to move rapidly along the fibre surface and pass quickly through the fabric.

Yarn Dyed

The individual yarns are coloured as a whole before weaving.

Zero Twist

Zero Twist means that the fibres are not twisted at all before being woven. As a result, the fibres have a more open surface making them very absorbant, fast drying and insulating. Products made from this yarn tend to be incredibly plush and sumptuously soft.

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