With so many different sheets on the market, why choose percale? And of all the percale sheets, why choose Thomas Lee?

Percale is a weave, not a material.

The most important items to note when shopping for sheets are the weave and the material.

Spelled the way it sounds (PER-kale), is one of these weaves. The percale weave is structured and balanced, and will likely remind you of either a chic hotel or of your grandmother’s house.

Thomas Lee uses a revolutionary 2 thread over 1 thread crisscross weave, making an even closer weave than standard percale (a one thread over 1 thread weave), while providing a denser, yet still soft, hand feel.

Thomas Lee only uses the finest cotton.

Cotton may not sound that glamorous until you hear about how particular Thomas Lee is about cotton.

Cotton is measured by staple length. Staple refers to the fiber density of the boll. While all cotton can be used for textiles, shorter-staple cotton is typically used to make clothing, especially denim; but the longer the staple, the softer and supplier the cotton will be, making long-staple varieties more appropriate for towels and sheets. Pima cotton is an extra-long-staple cotton. Thomas Lee only uses Supima cotton, the trademarked brand name of USA-grown Pima cotton. This cotton is as classic as it is luxurious.

With the Supima cotton and percale weave, Thomas Lee’s award-winning percale sheets are the finest construction and have a crisp, velvety-smooth texture.

Don’t be fooled by high thread counts.

Thread count is one tool in the buyers’ arsenal, but it is not the most important. Thread count simply measures the quantity of the threads, but not the quality of the threads used. It does not indicate the sheet’s weave or material.

As such, manufacturers can use thinner or weaker threads made of subpar material or looser weaves to manipulate the fabric into a soft hand feel, and yield a high thread count (you can find some sheets that claim thread counts up to 1,000!) but those cheaper materials and weaker weaves will fall apart over time and washes.

Thomas Lee Sheets are 500-thread count; meaning they contain 500 threads per square inch, and with their percale weave means that there are 12 stitches per inch, lending to its cloud-like quality.

The benefits of percale

We have established that Thomas Lee’s sheets are 500 thread count, made of the highest quality cotton, and most durable percale weave, but what does that really mean?

It means they are durable. The density of the percale weave means that these sheets are resistant to pilling and snagging. A lot of your higher thread counts may not provide this same feature due to the insufficient weave-to-thread ratio.
Percale is highly washable and stands up to washing, drying and ironing. It isn’t fragile like some of its counterparts (ahem, sateen).

Percale is the ultimate in comfort.

Since it is also so durable and washable, it gets softer and more soothing with age and washings.

Another amazing benefit of percale is that it is breathable and cool-to-the-touch therefore, it provides a good, year-round weight and comfort, making it perfect for hot sleepers!

You are also getting these sheets sans harsh chemicals or unfair, unsustainable methods. As a woman-owned and Oeko-Tex certified company, Thomas Lee is committed to providing better conditions for its partners, environment and consumer.

If you want timeless quality, you want cotton percale. If you want mindfulness and sustainability, you want Thomas Lee!