I have recently found sheets that I feel are very much like the old chrisp sheets. They are the "shabby chic" sold by Target. Not too expensive and the best I have found. They do wrinkle but so did the old ones. My mother used to send the sheets to the laundry so they came back cool and smooth. Heaven....

Just ordered my 2nd set from Vermont Country Store. Crisp!

I was just re-reading this thread in anticipation of purchasing new sheets, and wondering if anyone has any new recommendations to add.

I recently slept at my sister's house who had sheets which had belonged to my parents. They are a few years old but still nice and crisp. They were JCP's (only info on tag was 100% cotton), but I was unable to find the exact same sheets when I stopped by the other day.

TIA for iny new recommendations:)

I'm a major fan on Thomas Lee, though they are wildly expensive for a pauper such as myself. But yikes, they are crisp & smooth! (But they only get really smooth after a number of washings).
And the TL customer service is really, mindbogglingly awesome. I've had the company owner call me at least twice, minutes after I've emailed queries to the company. This guy TRULY believes in taking care of his customers, better than literally any other company I've ever dealt with.
You can get free swatches of their cotton sheet material, also. It's heavenly. Just, for heavens sakes, if you have a cat, keep every square inch of your sheets covered at all times!! I missed a tiny section one day, and have a decorative pattern of tiny holes in my wonderful fitted sheet which costs about what my car's worth (okay my car's a heap, but still....)
(I am not a TL person, just a curmdgeonette amazed that there's still a company that (A) makes great products & (B) actually takes pains to take care of its customers. Rarer these days than the dodo.

The problem with the high count cotton bedding is that they wrinkle so badly. I iron the pillowcases but after one night they are a mass of wrinkles.

I have two sets of pillowcases from the 1980-90's that are soft and smooth and feel cool. (I save these for company) The label says 60-40 cotton/poly.

I always thought 100% cotton would be best but I was wrong. If I recall correctly I always tried to buy at least 200 count which was considered high at the time. Anything less was scratchy and coarse. I used 160 count for the boys' bunk beds. When the high count cotton sheets became available I couldn't wait to get them. What a huge disappointment.

The deep mattresses are ridiculous. Sometimes I think it was just a ploy to make our sheets unusable.

Subrosa: The quality of cotton varies all over the place and unfortunately the thread count is often deliberately deceptive. I stopped using poly/cotton decades ago when we moved to the South; it just doesn't breathe and becomes too warm imo. I think that better quality cotton was easier to come by in the 80's and 90' (and 70's) and the thread counts were less deceptively "creative". Today, even though we're in a very different climate, I still look for good quality 100% cotton sheets, usually not less than 350 thread count. I find anything over 350 isn't necessarily more comfortable. I've spent more money on higher thread count and have often been disappointed. And I avoid if I can any piping or sewn on embellishments, which always seems to pull tight and look awful after washing/drying.
And Yes! What is the reason for deep mattresses. Making the bed becomes an aerobic work out or else the sheets are sooo deep that they won't stay neat and taut. The best sheets I've purchased were in 1998 at the Eddie Bauer Home Store. They were cool, ironed beautifully and lasted forever. We don't have one close by, so I can't comment on current quality (or even if there is a home store anymore).
If I find the perfect sheets, I will post!

I am old enough to know that there is a better product than the Egyptian cotton. There are not enough threads in those sheets to make them compare to the old-fashioned 180 count percale. The ladder of quality is percale, poplin, muslin. No large count of Egyptian cotton is going to compare, they are not smooth, they are wrinkled, they are scratchy..why buy them? Also want them wrinkle free. The marketing that has gone into the Egyptian is crazy! Why? Where can one find wrinkle free, 180 count percale in sets at a reasonable cost? We have been scammed by a good marketing campaign and company buyers who are clueless as to what is quality.

Totally agree, Jmedl.

There's another "crisp sheet thread" on this forum somewhere. After reading so many good reviews about how wonderful Thomas Lee sheets were, I ended up ordering a pair of their pillow cases to try. The quality is good as far as they are made well and the fabric is not thin, but in my opinion they are NOT crisp or cool or soft. I washed them twice and then even ironed them to see if that would help (using water/steam but no starch) . . . and I never iron my sheets or pillow cases!. But, what I ended up with is a very expensive pair of cream colored pillow cases that I can't sleep on comfortably. I've tried sleep on mine for the past three nights, but no more. I wonder if they'll refund my money? I'm glad that many GWers are happy with their Thomas Lee sheets. I'm just not one of them.
Lynn

I've started hanging my sheets out on a clothesline. They feel like they've been ironed! MUCH better than using the dryer.

I realize that a lot of people can't do that, for various reasons, but it's an alternative to sending them out :)

I was (am) a Thomas Lee convert, but my fitted sheet developed a tear. Not sure if it was my laundering, my toenails, or what. I was really disappointed, though, because my less expensive sheets took over 10 years to have something like that happen.
I just ordered a new fitted from the One Kings Lane sale, because they are the only ones that keep me cool. I haven't found anything to equal them, recently.

L. L. Bean's 280 thread count percale sheets are very crisp, almost rough after the first wash. I recommend them

I ordered a Thomas Lee sample based on the reviews on Gardenweb and was disappointed that its did not feel crisp. Luckily I found the L. L. Bean sheets, which have the added advantage of fitting over a very think mattress (15 inches deep).

Aw, I want smooth and cool. I don't like rough at all.

Because I am incapable of learning, I ordered a set of Thomas Lee sheets with high hopes. My perceptions are similar to Lynn's. I guess to me they feel somewhat crisp. They snap out of the washer and rustle when you move, but I don't find them to be especially smooth, soft or cool.

I'm beginning to feel like the princess and the pea. So I think I'm going to leave the great sheet search alone for a while. I've got some perversely cozy flannels and it'll be time for them before too long. Besides, the Thomas Lee are nice. They're just not quite what I was hoping for.

I just visited my mother and saw the Vermont Country Store catalog there. I'm linking some 100% percale sheets from their site. These are white, and sold per sheet, but they have others in patterns, sold by the set.

"These hard-to-find, old-fashioned 100% cotton percale sheets aren't treated with resin, which can irritate sensitive skin. We found these supremely soft sheets in Portugal from the same manufacturer who makes our traditional percale and flannel sheet sets. Hang on your clothesline to dry, or put in the dryer�"just be sure to remove them promptly for best results. 300 thread count. Open stock. Pillowcases are available in standard size and king size; 2 cases per package. Machine wash and dry. Imported."

Here is a link that might be useful: Open-Stock Resin-Free Sheets

Darn! They don't come in Cal King for a fitted. Although, one review felt that their texture wasn't great.

Hm, after several non-endorsements as to the crispness of Thomas Lee sheets, I'm beginning to think that (despite my insane smoothness requirements) I don't 'get' what a crisp sheet is, & it's not part of my personal idiosyncratic requirement.
That said, it is still sometimes possible to get actual, original, vintage, unused Wamsutta Supercale sheets on ebay or etsy, which are the epitome of smooth & (?) crisp. Just, for heavens sake, if you get ANY sheets you like & have a Bravos washer, do NOT put the two together. That vile, evil, devil-spawned mangler of an excuse for an appliance will chew numerous little holes in them, & your blood pressure will red-line, resulting in cartoon-esque steam jets blasting out your ears.

Maxlet, you made me LOL!

My dryer is also spawned from a demon and all manner of items get caught, twist, and have a grease mark forever more.
I've started hanging my precious things on a line until the stupid thing croaks. I COULD buy a new one, but hate to spend hundreds of dollars on something that doesn't make me giddy. Thankfully, I live in the south where the temps are almost always warm enough for it. I've become infatuated with the feel of the sheets afterward, too.

I've never had any luck with sheets. I just can't afford really pricey ones. I just bought (after three years of going with mismatched sheet sets) a set at Target for almost $100, which kills me. It said Egyptian cotton and had a high count so I really thought I was getting something nice. In the past I've only spent $50 max...Got them home, washed and dried them. They are thick, scratchy and SUPER wrinkly. I mean REALLY wrinkly. I am appalled. And I am stuck with them, too. I can't justify spending any more. Not yet.

sameboat: If you have your receipt or put the sheets on a credit/debit card and it's been less than 90 days, you can probably return to Target. It's worth a try!

Alex,
I like to hang dry when possible, too (though in coastal Oregon, that's pretty much never). Unfortunately, that vile machine was a washer! We finally dumped it on Craigslist. Aargh!

Best,

I came across this post while searching the net about what is wrong with today's sheets. I miss my grandmothers sheets and the Wamsutta Percale (or supercale) sheets I bought in the 90's. Does anyone remember Ralph Lauren's Cotton sheets with the green label? They were crisp, cool and had that velvety smooth feel with each wash. Also had those fine little wrinkles in them. I keep buying and failing miserably at finding the sheets I loved. Glad I am not the only one with this obsession!

I was looking around in a pricey linen store and overheard the clerk telling a customer, "The Egyptian cotton sheets are really nice but many customers don't want to have to iron their sheets".

I think the ULTIMATE QUESTION is: with such a huge longing/need/demand for crisp, cool sheets, WHY hasn't Springmaid Wamsutta or some other sheet producer just create a new line of sheets using the old, tried-and-true formula? They'd make a fortune for themselves and make a lot of us very happy.
Lynn

I recently bought Pottery Barn organic cotton sheets and they are pretty crisp, I love them.

I won't get into the "crispness" debate, because I think the feel of sheets is very subjective, and because y'all know I love my RH pure linen sheets. BUT -- with regard to quality of sheets, I know that Consumer Reports has been lamenting the quality of our sheets for years. I know some people don't like, CR, but here's what they say FWIW:

Consider this a wake-up call to bedding makers: Very few of the queen-size sheets we tested performed well enough for us to recommend, and two of those were expensive enough that we suggest using coupons or waiting until they go on sale before buying. As for the others, our tests and reporting revealed a litany of problems:

Some fitted sheets easily ripped or came apart at the seams in our strength tests, and some could tear from just a heavy cat's claws.
Other sets had fitted sheets that popped off the corners of mattresses they claimed to fit or flat sheets that fell short on the sides of the bed.
Some wrinkle-free sheets didn't live up to their name.
One company's sets had mismatched colors.
Environmental claims were sometimes dubious. The Federal Trade Commission has told retailers to stop labeling and advertising rayon textiles as eco-friendly bamboo. Once the plant fiber is processed, it's rayon, not bamboo. Plus the processing uses toxic chemicals that emit hazardous air pollutants during manufacturing. Three sheet sets we tested claim to be bamboo but should be labeled as rayon or a rayon/cotton blend.

Recommended percale sheets are:
L.L. Bean Pima cotton percale, Land's End supima percale, Martha Stewart (Macy's), and Pottery Barn banded hemstich (all with scores 69-71).

I was in Sears last week and the lady in front of me was buying Cannon Percale sheets. I am going to try them next time I need sheets. Some of my favorite are vintage Percale and only 250 thread count.

I must be a low-thread-count person, as it's the only way I perceived smooth/crisp sheets. I reach into every zipped package at Macy's (where I've been buying sheets for years that don't break the bank) and everything feels slimy or overly soft. I've never ironed sheets. I'm beginning to suspect the sheets I love aren't 100% cotton, but the labels are so faded I can't tell anymore.

Call me cheap, but I don't want to spend $100 on a set of queen sheets. But maybe I need to reevaluate my priorities.

All of my crisp Wamsutta Supercale sheets are either 60/40 cotton/poly or 50/50 cotton/poly. I'm pretty sure the thread count is 250.

I have 8 sets - 5 at home and 3 at our vacation place. I rotate them weekly and several of them are over 20 years old. I have replaced the worn out elastic on a couple of the fitted sheets. But I am shocked that they haven't pilled, they're not threadbare and the colors still look good. The printed set has faded a good bit.

Some of the 600 or 800 thread count fitted sheets that I've bought have actually worn out.

I do have a set of Martha Stewart cotton/poly percale from Macy's that I like too.

I remember my Wamsutta set was only 200/250 in the early 90', but I cannot remember the blend.

This post was edited by flutter33 on Sat, Dec 6, 14 at 13:05

WalMart has a 60/40 cotton blend 250 thread count that sounds too good to be true. Reviews are good. Has anyone bought their Mainstay line? Under $30 for queen set? Wow!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-250-Thread-Count-Sheet-Set/20976802?

Here is a link that might be useful: WalMart Mainstay sheets

Vermont Country Store once again has their Clothesline Crisp Sheet Sets available again. Bought two and waiting for a third to be delivered. They're the best I've found so far.http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/store/jump/productDetail/Home/Bed_&_Bath/Sheets/Clothesline_Crisp_Sheet_Set/49249

I was also surprised some years ago to find that the percale sheets, with some polyester with the cotton, were cool, crisp, smooth, and didn't need to be ironed. I bought some high end sheets (without polyester), as well as some from K-Mart (cotton polyester mix) and, surprisingly, the K-Mart sheets met my criteria more than the high end and a number of years later they are still super comfortable and wearing well. They may have been Martha Stewart or Jaclyn Smith sheets, but I really don't remember. I don't know whether there are any K-Mart stores left or whether they still have the percale sheets, but my experience was good (and I saved money!).

I found the best - Target has Threshold Percale sheets that are so cool and so crisp. As good or better than Company Store used to have. Dream come true!

I know this thread is old but I need to add my two cents. I am picky about my sheets. I like a crisp, cool, smooth feel to my bed sheets so percale is my choice of weave. I had a set of Thomas Lee sheets that after 3 years wore out. I did not want to spend the money again on a new set, so I set out on google to search for the same crisp/smooth feel sheet at a better price. I ended up with LL Bean Percale based on great reviews and LL Bean coupons I needed to use. I haven't been happy since I received them. They are crisp but definitely not smooth or cool. The Thomas Lee sheets were cool, crisp, and smooth just the way I like my sheets to be when I crawl into bed. The Thomas Lee sheets also seemed to get smoother as time went on but not silky like sateen. I have finally decided to look into getting new sheets and have came across Perfect Linen sheets on many blogs as a great sheet set. Just wondering if anyone on the GardenWeb has tried Perfect Linen sheets before I go back to the ones I loved?

Try the laundry room forum. They have had a lot of discussions about sheets.

Sorry, Jane Thompson, I bought the Threshold percale sheets from Target, While not soft, they have a plastic-y feel and actually sound a little like plastic being crumpled up when they are moving. They'll do for now, but I'm still looking.

I found some Lauren/Ralph Lauren sheets, 100 percent cotton, at Winners/HomeSense recently and don't recall what the label said, but they're nicely crisp and cool, especially to my hot, middle aged, menopausal body : ) . About $40 Canadian for a queen set.

I have to chime in on the Ralph Lauren sheets. I have been scouring every Home Goods/Marshalls store in two states to buy these sheets because they are crisp and beautifully made. They seem to all be patterned - some with polka dots, others with anchors or (believe it or not) skull and cross bones. They are the nicest sheets I've found in years.

Maura, thanks for confirming what I thought : ) . The two sets I've bought are floral, one light blue and green, and the other blue and red.

Does anyone know the brand name or maker of Kmart's cotton/poly blend sheets produced in the late 1990s?

They were absolutely fantastic -- mine are just wearing out now after about twenty years of use and I'd like to buy another set (or two or four!) Unfortunately, the writing on the tag has long since worn off.

They were cool, crisp, and thick and they never made even a single pill. I just can't find anything that feels as good. Here's a photo of the detail on the top hem:

.

herculesbenderofbikes, not sure if they are the same but I have some from i think target from the early 90's that are 50%polyester and 50% cotton wrinkle free, cool crisp, sheets that have a similar trim and their brand name is "Spring". I've been looking for about 10 years for some comparative ones but haven't found any that can touch them yet.

Just an FYI for anyone interested: Thomas Lee is having an online sale on their sheets right now.

I have one set and like them a lot, although I feel that their everyday prices are too high. All this time later, though, I'm still very happy with my Target sheets that I started another post about sometime last year.

I read through a lot of the comments and did notice Ralph Lauren mentioned several times. I have started buying them when I find them in TJMAXX and setting them back to open when I have worn out the sets I have now. Then have a great crispness and even a crisp sound and are great at making you feel you have crawled into a super clean bed.

Good luck to those of you looking and do check TJMAXX Homegoods.

Thanks Sheryl - as the original poster to this thread I am still looking for crisp sheets. We just bought new King and Queen mattress sets and both are thicker than the old mattresses so it's time to buy new sheets again.

I'll see if my TJMaxx has the Ralph Lauren.

I usually keep an eye on the sheet bins at home goods for percale sheets. Hard to tell how they’re going to wash, but I have done pretty well just feeling them in the store to see if they’re fairly heavy and crisp. Vera Wang percale was good, can’t remember the other brand. I like sheets that rustle when you move them. I hate sateen. Too limp.

ETA: the RL sheets I had were sateen.

Ralph Lauren Mattea sheets are crisp as all hell.

I have had two sets of Thomas Lee 100% cotton sheets. They are...to die for. Cool, crisp and smooth. Feel like the sheets my mom line dried in the fresh air back then. Makes me want to go to bed every night. BUT...both have torn. The bottom sheet of the first set actually seemed to wear out and a large tear developed after only a couple years. I thought it must be a fluke so invested in another set. Just couldn’t (can’t ) imagine life without them. Well, the side seam of the top sheet of the second set, now a couple years old, has torn out, I can see actual tiny holes in each stitch point! At well over a hundred dollars on sale, this is ridiculous (I considered them one of my few luxuries). I will try calling the company. I am heart broken, I mean I love these sheets. So begins the search for a new brand!

I was pleasantly surprised with Brooklinen core classic sheets

I actually came online to look up the Brooklinen sheets. Had never heard of them. Stayed in a cousins house over the long weekend and she had them on her guest bed.

RL cotton sheets from TJMAXX, though there may be other sources. Smooth and rustling- crisp. But no way more than 15” deep.