What is Microfiber anyway...?

Microfiber or microfibre is a synthetic fiber.  Finer than one denier,  this micro-filament is thinner than a strand of silk and much finer than a human hair.

There are many uses for microfiber, ranging from scientific/industrial to fashion accessories.

In home textiles, the first popular microfiber products were throws and blankets made of "microplush" knitted yarns. This throw was the softest, most luxurious polyester product since "Vellux®" blankets were brought to market. "Microplush"  remains one of the most popular fabrics since its discovery. Pajama pants, sweatshirts and even car-seat covers have all used this soft pile polyester knitted fabric.

Micro Plush microfiber blanket.

That original plush fabrication has given way to many other soft, luxurious microfiber fabrics including: micro mink, micro fleece and microfiber based flannel.

At some point, instead of knitting the yarns into blankets, someone started weaving it into an inexpensive sheet cloth. 55 gsm Microfiber Sheets became a very important item, and quickly replaced the "Muslin" sheets that were selling by the 10's of thousands at discount stores across the country. 

Microfiber Sheets have been an industry game-changer, creating an entirely new opening price point and promotional item that has basically killed the Muslin and  Polyester "Percale" sheet business.

Woven Microfiber sheets are usually sold by GSM or Grams per Square Meter. It's a measure of density, similar to thread count. D. Charles Luxury Microfiber sheets are 80-85 GSM. Our fabric is finished by brushing both sides, which is why we give a range for the GSM: when you brush, it's not possible to have the GSM be consistent over the fabric.

We developed this particular fabric in order for the sheets to breathe better, as microfiber can get hot when it's too thick and not brushed properly.

Additionally, we use a thinner filament to weave these sheets - a 288 filament yarn vs. a 144 filament. This makes the sheets much softer and finer.

Microfiber sheets generally range from 55gsm on the very low end up to 120 GSM. In our experience, as you get towards 120gsm, there are diminishing returns on the value and the fabric's ability to breathe, so we concentrated on our 80-85 GSM fabrication to provide the best combination of microfiber's benefits.

Microfiber is here to stay, and when fabricated properly, can be an excellent bedding and sheeting cloth. It washes well,  dries quickly, is fairly durable and can be so soft that you forget that it's polyester!

Amazon - giving D. Charles some love!

D. Charles is excited to announce that we made Amazon's "Hot New Releases" for our Luxury Microfiber Sheets with Extra Pillowcases!

We're occupying a few spots right now, for a few different styles.

Thanks to everyone who has supported our launch. There are some exciting new products in the works, and we'll be bringing sneak peaks soon...maybe on Instagram (@dcharles_style)?

A Note About Thread Count

Thread Count is only one measure of the quality of luxury linens. It's helpful to distinguish how thick and dense a fabric will be, but it doesn't tell you how the cloth was woven, sewn or finished. 

Fine Italian sheets, historically, have been from 270 thread count to around 380 thread count. Don't get fooled by  numbers like 1500 and 1800 - it's just plain misdirection. Cotton, and blended cotton woven sheets do not have thread counts that high. Even if there were, the technique used to weave them would create a sheet with inherent flaws in dimensional strength and washability.