Who thought it was a good idea to have white bath towels be a thing? I truly don’t understand the idea of wrapping your body into a white towel and seeing all the grossness that develops over time (especially because you used the towel when your naked body was CLEAN…or so you thought). Really guys, what’s the purpose of white towels? Is it because we’re supposed to have them so super fresh and clean all the time and if we see there’s a little dirty on them then we know to wash them because they must be perfectly clean all the time? I understand the argument, but even with pure white, freshly cleaned towels, they’re never really THAT clean unless they’re brand new: Arlyn recently posted a story about stripping her white bath towels and it was a crazy thing to watch…our towels have SO MUCH nasty in them even when we wash them regularly…so why would we make them white?? Emily has also been griping about this exact issue and has shifted to nonwhite towels for their everyday lives. It’s just more practical and she hates feeling like she needs to replace them more frequently than she’d ever like. They just don’t last nearly as long as colored or textured towels and we are over it. So here’s my “hack” if you can really call it that…I just call it “the colorful, textured, and patterned towel.” FEAST YOUR EYES:
THE TEXTURED TOWEL DIFFERENCE
See the difference? Both of these towels are the same age and have been used a lot, but the patterned ones on the right have probably been used TWICE as much and STILL look this good. Two people, daily showers, a lot of washing, and a lot of action. BUT, the white ones on the left have not held up and the ones on the right truly have. In fact, they’re as fluffy as the day we bought them (the white ones, not so much). So why do people immediately think white towels are a staple? Let’s dissect it a bit more & give some examples of how it’s done…
I love that simple stripe towel against that insanely good moody pink. The best part about this towel “hack” (if you consider this a hack) is that it can totally transform your space and give it even more personality. I’m super into how the towel contrasts with the paint and immediately grabs your eye in this photo. It has the power to do it in your real-life bathroom, too.
Here the pattern is a larger scale which complements the small-scale penny tile VERY nicely in my opinion. Proof that the patterned towel can look good even in a more neutral bathroom. Plus these look really soft and plush too. We are definitely not suggesting sacrificing towel coziness for style. Both can exist! If you’re into a more colorful look, scroll down.
Now, this TOTALLY reminds me of a Max Humphrey design (I was shocked when I found out it wasn’t). It’s totally the color palette and wide stripe on the towels (which I love). And while these are primarily white the colorful stripes help to distract from that fact. I’m also VERY into the embroidery because then you can know which towel belongs to who so you’re not rubbing your nakey bodies on the same towel and sharing skin cells. Gross.
Now if you have a busy wallpaper or tile going on and you need to pull it back in the towel department, you too can still participate in this towel idea, just go with a solid color or colorful and texture instead.
THE SOLID COLORED AND/OR TEXTURED TOWEL
Now let’s chat about solid-colored towels briefly…I haven’t experimented with using a solid color towel for a very long time (mine have always been either white or super patterned) so I’d love to know your personal thoughts on this matter, but here is my current opinion:
First off, I’m obsessed with this bathroom. Heavily. Second off, having solid colored towels will look better longer than white towels, because of the quick “dingy factor”. Nothing is more disgusting than an almost grey-ish, non-bright white towel, but over time the terrycloth material starts to get weird too and it makes you have to replace them SO FAST. So having a color other than white takes care of showing all the years of dirt and use. However, the second component is why you have to focus on the quality of material of the towel you’re buying. Low-quality materials will always go bad faster. So if you get a good towel in a good material, it’s going to last you A LOT longer than a white one. The third component is texture. If your towel is textured, the texture will also make it look better longer since it’s a bit more forgiving of things like wrinkles:)
If you’re inspired to shop for non-solid white towels, here’s a little roundup to get you started (FYI, the ones I have in my bathroom are linked as #1 and I could not recommend them enough):
1. Lena Bath Towels | 2. Reversible Gold Stripe Towel | 3. Karla Cement Bath Towel | 4. Casaluna Bath Towel | 5. Arches Towel | 6. Harper Hand Towel | 7. Dashes Lines Towel | 8. Waffle Towel | 9. Green Celine Bath Towel | 10. Nordic Soft Checkerboard Towel | 11. Super Plush Towel | 12. Reversible Black and White Towel
Alright everyone, here is my closing thesis: towels will last longer if they’re not white, patterned, or textured (SUPER POINTS IF THEY’RE ALL 3). The busier, thicker, and better quality the longer they will last also. Let’s stop throwing towels away so fast and let’s make them last longer than 1 year!! Hope this post was helpful –– I’d love to know your longest-lasting towels in the comments…I’m passionate about towels so this will be a fun chat!! Ta-ta for now!
Opening Image Credits: Design by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: MOTO Reveal: Emily Bowser’s 32-Square-Foot Bathroom Is Packed With Small Space Hacks
THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE.
