If you were fortunate to be wealthy in medieval Europe, then you could use your bed to show off your status. Their impressive beds were carved out of wood, raised off the floor, and often encrusted with jewels. Four-poster beds were created during these times, with velvet drapes to keep out the bugs and cold air, and to further show off wealth. However, if you were poor, you slept either on the floor or a small raised platform with hay for a mattress and a scratchy wool blanket.

First of all, because linen’s flax fibers are slightly longer than those of cotton and wrapped a little tighter, linen sheets are stronger which means they will last much longer. If softness is a factor for you, you may want to consider cotton, though. Flax fibers are much rougher than cotton resulting in slightly crisper fabric. But the great thing about linen is that it gets softer after each wash, so essentially it gets better with time.

One of the most fun parts of sheet shopping is choosing color and pattern. If you have a specific aesthetic or interior design vision in mind, that’s something important to consider as you shop. Not all brands carry a wide variety of colors and patterns, so you may want to start your search with brands that do if that is important to you.