Aretha Floral Cotton Pillowcase Pair - Teal/Olive

The Aretha pillowcase pair takes a traditional Persian paisley and scales it right up, so the swirling shapes curl across the cloth in layers rather than sitting as a small repeat. It is printed in teal, olive, purple and magenta on a cream ground, and the print is digitally applied, which is what lets the colours stay this crisp and this many across a single design. Each pillowcase is 100% cotton, made in a sateen weave, and the pair comes finished with a contrast pink piped edge that traces the outline and lifts the whole front.

These are a set of two housewife pillowcases, so they suit a standard pillow and slip straight into an everyday bed rather than needing a particular pillow shape. The palette is deep and warm, and it sits comfortably against dark, moody bedroom schemes and against the wider Aretha range if you are building a coordinated bed. Because the print is large and busy, it works best where you want the bed to be the thing you notice first, whether that is a main bedroom or a spare room you want to feel dressed rather than plain.

Cotton is breathable and absorbent, which is why it is the fibre most people want against their face overnight, and a sateen weave gives that cotton a smoother, softer surface than a plain weave does. The reverse is a tonal cotton sateen and each case closes with an envelope opening, which keeps the pillow tucked in without a visible fastening. Wash and care to the labels, and pair them with the matching Aretha bedding to carry the paisley across the whole bed.

What size pillow do these fit?

Each pillowcase measures 50 x 75cm, which is the standard housewife size and suits an ordinary UK pillow with no special shape needed.

How many pillowcases are in the set?

The set is sold as a pair, so you receive two matching housewife pillowcases, enough to dress both pillows on a double bed.

What are they made of?

They are 100% cotton in a sateen weave. Cotton is breathable and absorbent against the skin, and the sateen weave gives it a smoother, softer surface.

What is the piping around the edge?

There is a contrast pink piped trim running around the front edge of each case, which frames the paisley print and adds a defined outline to the pillow.

How do the pillowcases close?

Each one has an envelope closure at the back, so the pillow tucks inside behind an overlapping flap with no buttons or zip on show.

Is the back the same as the front?

The reverse is a tonal cotton sateen rather than the full paisley print, so the patterned face is the side you display and the back stays plain.