ISLAND STYLE
Fine fabrics require careful shopping and extra care

• Right colors can change how you look at your home

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

McQuaid's Fine Living specializes in Irish linen. Owner Eileen Dervisevic said once you experience linen, "it's hard to pass up." Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser Where to find fine linens Fawcett-Miles, 614 Cooke St., Suite 201, 589-2737 McQuaid's Fine Living, Waikiki Landmark Building, 1888 Kalakaua Ave., 979-2700 Morgan Beret, Kahala Mall, 735-8600

In Honolulu, this trend translates into an interesting retail phenomenon: the opening of upscale shops focused on fine linens. For this story, "fine linens" are defined as bed linens made of high-quality European cotton or linen. They generally are softer, smoother, more long-lasting — and much more costly — than sheets available at department stores and discount outlets.

Catherine Conrad of Manoa recently bought sheets by Bella Notte and a blanket cover by Paper White at Fawcett-Miles, a new fine-linen shop on Cooke Street. "My bed and bedroom are special to me," she explained. "They are more important than any other item or room."

Carlton Hill of Sunset Beach concurs: "Fine linens are like a flannel shirt. They get better with age. That's why I grabbed the highest thread count I could find," a set of Yves Delorme sheets (for Palais Royale) with a thread count of 310 from Morgan Beret in Kahala Mall.

Thread counts are a much-debated issue. The usual method for determining quality levels in cottons is to count the threads in an inch of fabric. Thread counts may range from 150 to 600, with the average sheet about 180 threads per inch. This measurement does not work for linen, which is made from flax, an entirely different fiber.

Barbara Harger, head of the Department of Apparel Design and Merchandising at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, said the higher the thread count, the finer the yarn, so it may deteriorate faster. She added that thread counts above 300 may not necessarily create a smoother feel, although this is debated among those who choose to sleep on fine linens.

Ask whether the sheets are made of pima cotton or Egyptian cotton. Pima has shorter fibers than long-staple Egyptian cotton, so it may not stand up as well to wear and washing.

Nicky Freegard, owner of EarthWorks, a Tucson, Ariz.-based manufacturer of linen, silk, cotton and hemp, said, "The whole thread-count thing isn't really a huge issue. It has become sort of a sales technique." She added that fabrics with a thread count of more than 400 may be very soft but not as durable.

Conrad said her thread count threshold is 280. She simply will not sleep on linens with a lesser count.

When venturing into the realm of fine linens, it's advisable to try before you buy a whole set. Take home a pillowcase and see whether the finer fabric really makes a difference. Wash it several times to see if it gets softer.

Linen an ancient fabric

Linen has been woven from flax fiber for about 10,000 years. When the tomb of the pharaoh of the Exodus, Ramses II, was discovered in 1881, his mummy's linen wrappings were perfectly preserved.

In Europe, families hand down their linens from one generation to the next. Linen is the only fabric that is stronger wet than dry, so it doesn't weaken through washing.

Linen rapidly absorbs moisture, making it a cool fabric, and it's breathable, making it ideal for Hawai'i's climate. Eileen Dervisevic, owner of McQuaid's Fine Living, specializing in Irish linen, said "Linen is a lifestyle thing. Once people know it and experience sleeping in it, it's hard to pass up."

While linen may seem synonymous with wrinkles, linen sheets actually wrinkle less with age. They are also easy to wash because the weave allows stains to be loosened. Dervisevic said it's simple to remove wine, lipstick or mascara stains by pretreating with a stain remover and washing in hot water.

Caring for fine linens

Conrad, who grew up in a family that ironed its bed linens and turned mattresses weekly, washes her sheets by placing them in a laundry bag in the washing machine with Ivory Flakes. She dries sheets on the gentle cycle but insists on air-drying pillowcases.

Kaye Fawcett, co-owner of Fawcett-Miles, recommends putting fine linens in a washing machine but avoiding chemicals and bleach. She advised using a gentle linen wash sold in specialty shops.

Dervisevic washes her linens in warm water with a linen wash. She usually takes them out during the spin cycle, shakes them and hangs them up, smoothing them on the line. However, the tumble-dry cycle should not damage linens, she said. If a crisp look is desired, they can be ironed when still damp.