The ANNOTICO Report
OK, this info is Not as consequential as I usually bring
you, but it is
intriguing.:)
The American fixation with "bigger is better", and the
plush terry "loops"
towels, will graduate to the thinner, softer, more absorbent
"waffle
weave/honeycomb/highly textured", then ultimately succumb
to the Italian
wood "Super Absorbent/Super Soft" towel.
For those of you who want an "cutting edge" practical
GIFT, for which you
will be remembered and thanked for every day, it is worth
consideration.
Maybe even a Gift to yourself.
Americans love the plush terry, but the thinner, softer,
more absorbent
waffle weave has its fans
Kansas City Star
By Cindy Hoedel
Sat, Feb. 19, 2005
When you step out of the shower dripping wet,..sure, your
plush towel feels
soft and warm.
But five minutes later you may still be damp.
There's a drier solution, and the Italians have figured it out.
Europeans prefer lightweight, waffle-weave towels...especially
for use at
the pool or in a sauna. But for the most part, Americans
are hooked on
terry loops.
"It's another example of the 'bigger is better' way of
thinking in the
U.S.," said Ursula Terrasi, owner of a bath store in
Kansas City and a
native of Italy.
"Americans... think towels should be big and fat."
Lisa Payne,... uses waffle-weave towels herself, but she
has little luck
swaying customers.
"They want the fattest towels they can get," she said.
The exception is
people who have traveled overseas and used waffle-weave
towels in another
country.
Designer Eric Negrete... loves the way they absorb, but
that's not the
reason he bought a set when he moved from a large house
to a condo."I threw
away the thick towels because my linen closet was so
small."
Waffle-weave towels are popular at day spas, where they're
used because
they are so absorbent.
In the United States, the only waffle-weave bath towels
widely available
are manufactured in Europe. They cost from $24 for a
hand towel to $50 or
more for a bath sheet. Labor costs for milling and weaving
are higher in
Europe, and more traditional manufacturing methods are
employed there.
Companies don't employ cost-saving techniques such as
using the selvage
(woven edge) of the fabric as the side of a towel rather
than finished
seams.
For now, there is no inexpensive waffle-weave towel. A
poor alternative is
a thin, lightweight terry towel with long loops.
Japanese makers are offering towels that have a more casual
look than the
elegant, traditional European waffle weave and are less
expensive, ...and
are easing into the America with terry baby towels and
blankets.
Some Americans are familiar with similar waffle-weave
technology in
specialty products, that are made of microfiber,
not cotton. The Aquis
hair-drying towel is one example. The secret of its absorbency
is the same:
The honeycombed, highly textured weave creates more surface
area for
soaking up water.
Even if waffle-weave towels are slow to take off, they
may be exerting an
influence on terry towels. The newest lines of some luxury
terry towels are
thinner and softer than in years past...
The latest towel trend is blends of wood fibers and cotton.
Just like
clothing made with Tencel, a product called Legna (the
Italian word for
"wood") made in Italy by SDH feels noticeably softer
than 100 percent
cotton.
Legna towels are 70 percent wood fiber and 30 percent
Egyptian cotton, but
the loops are 100 percent wood fiber.
NOW YOU KNOW--- TOWEL TERMS:
(LDOT) LEGNA: The Italian word for "wood" and a brand
of sheets, towels and
other textile products made from Italian beechwood by
the California
company SDH. The products are similar to clothing made
with Tencel.
• Jacquard: Fabric with a reversible design woven in.
• Terry: Fabric with woven loops.
• Velour: Terry whose loops have been sheared off on
one side.
• Waffle weave: Also called "honeycomb," a method of
weaving that produces
a textured finish that is extremely absorbent.
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/
living/10937917.htm