Linen glossary

Cotton sateen

Cotton sateen is a satin-weave fabric: the warp threads "float" over several weft threads, creating a slightly lustrous, silky, fluid surface. Like percale, it is a weave and not a fibre — a cotton sateen is still cotton, with no silk in it at all.

Against percale, sateen plays the sensual register: a gliding hand, a sheened look, a supple drape. In return, its floats make it more prone to snagging and to wear under intensive washing, which is why the hotel trade prefers percale for everyday service sheets, keeping sateen for suites and showpiece linen. For a short-term rental with heavy turnover, percale remains the rational choice.