Whilst linen may not initially feel as soft as cotton, it does get softer with each wash. Choose pre-washed - garment washed or stone washed - linen if you want that softer feel straight away.

In 1689, English diplomat, Paul Rycaut visited Hamburg in Germany where he first experienced sleeping under a duvet. He sent his friends back in England some bags of eiderdown with instructions on how to make their own duvets and he also tried to sell the duvets himself. Unfortunately for him, the British people were not keen to embrace this new concept. It was prohibitively expensive, so instead, they opted to carry on using the more affordable sheets and blankets.

When we think of bedding materials, cotton and linen fabrics immediately spring to mind. In fact, the average homeowner may use the terms ‘linen sheets’ and ‘cotton bed sheets’ interchangeably because they seem so similar.