01. Starting Fibre
The highest quality cotton is long staple, staple being the length of the cotton fibre.
At Ara Living, we use only long-staple cotton because it produces the longest, strongest and finest cotton fibres in the world. These long staples can then be spun into stronger, finer yarns, to produce the smoothest, softest weaves.
02. Yarn construction
A yarn is made by twisting individual fibres (process called spinning). Usually multi-ply yarns, a ply being a strand of fibre, are made from shorter, weaker fibres which are twisted together to create a false strength. And as the short fibres can poke out of the weave, the result is a thicker, coarser, yet weaker fabric.
At Ara Living, all our bedding is made of single-ply yarn which produces the finest, strongest threads and results in light, fluffy, yet extremely durable sheets.
02. Yarn construction
A yarn is made by twisting individual fibres (process called spinning). Usually multi-ply yarns, a ply being a strand of fibre, are made from shorter, weaker fibres which are twisted together to create a false strength. And as the short fibres can poke out of the weave, the result is a thicker, coarser, yet weaker fabric.
At Ara Living, all our bedding is made of single-ply yarn which produces the finest, strongest threads and results in light, fluffy, yet extremely durable sheets.
03. Thread Quality
An example of why thread size matters is best carried out comparing the threads woven in a thick vegetable sack versus a fine silk scarf. Finer threads (i.e. higher yarn size) create lighter, more soft and supple fabric. Ara Living sheets, duvet covers and all other bedding is made using thread with minimum yarn size of 60, higher than most in the market, even the ‘luxury’ ones.
04. Thread Count
Thread count is simply the number of threads per square inch of a fabric. When more threads are woven tightly together, it results in softer, denser fabric.
However, higher thread count doesn’t always mean better bed linen. Often “high-end” bed sheet manufacturers inflate thread counts to trick customers by using two-ply or even three-ply threads (lower-grade cotton) to artificially double and triple the actual thread count. These bloated thread counts means that not only is that bed linen not the softest you can find, but also not the most durable or comfortable. At Ara Living, in addition to using single-ply yarn and maintaining a minimum ‘true’ thread count of 300, all our sheets are made of organic cotton, which in particular, is known for its luxurious softness without necessitating a higher-thread count.
04. Thread Count
Thread count is simply the number of threads per square inch of a fabric. When more threads are woven tightly together, it results in softer, denser fabric.
However, higher thread count doesn’t always mean better bed linen. Often “high-end” bed sheet manufacturers inflate thread counts to trick customers by using two-ply or even three-ply threads (lower-grade cotton) to artificially double and triple the actual thread count. These bloated thread counts means that not only is that bed linen not the softest you can find, but also not the most durable or comfortable. At Ara Living, in addition to using single-ply yarn and maintaining a minimum ‘true’ thread count of 300, all our sheets are made of organic cotton, which in particular, is known for its luxurious softness without necessitating a higher-thread count.
05. Weave
A sheet’s weave decides how it looks and feels. As part of our intention to bring you a curated, more luxurious range, all our bedding is made of the Sateen weave . In Sateen-weave, for every one thread that goes from top to bottom, four go left to right, creating a directionality in the fabric that feels smoother to the touch, has a lightweight, airy appeal, is less wrinkle-prone and gives a subtle silky smooth sheen.
