Leicester Floral Cotton Towels - Sage Green

These Leicester towels carry a floral and foliage design worked into the pile itself, so the pattern is sculpted from the towelling rather than printed onto it. Both faces show the same design, which means there is no plain side to turn outward and no right or wrong way to hang them. The cloth is pure cotton and, according to the record, woven at 600gsm, a heavy weight for a towel that speaks to a dense, plush pile. The colour here is a soft sage green, a gentle muted tone that sits between grey and green depending on the light. They come in four sizes, from a hand towel up through bath, bath sheet and an extra-large sheet.

A heavy 600gsm cotton towel is one you buy for a bathroom you want to feel generous rather than functional. The muted sage reads as calm and unfussy, so it suits a room with natural wood, painted panelling or plain white tiling, and it works as well against warm neutrals as it does against cooler greys. Because the pattern is the same on both sides, a folded stack on an open shelf looks considered from every angle. Buy the sizes together and you have a matched set; buy the hand towel alone and it still stands on its own beside a basin.

Cotton is the reason a towel dries you and then dries itself: the fibre draws water in readily and gives it up again in the wash and on the line, which is what keeps a heavy towel from going sour. The pile is woven, not glued or printed, so the pattern will not lift or fade with the design the way a print can. It is a William Morris heritage floral, drawn from a long tradition of English pattern, and if you already own pieces in this design the towels extend it into the bathroom.

Is the pattern printed or woven in?

It is sculptured into the pile, so the floral and foliage design is formed by the towelling itself rather than printed on top and will not lift with washing.

Does the design show on both sides?

Yes, the same floral and foliage pattern appears on both faces, so there is no plain reverse and the towel looks finished whichever way you fold or hang it.

What does 600gsm mean for how these feel?

Grams per square metre measures the density of the pile. At 600gsm these are a heavy, plush towel with plenty of cotton to draw water in.

Why choose pure cotton for a towel?

Cotton absorbs water readily and releases it again on the line, which is what lets a towel do its job and then dry out fully between uses.

What sizes can I buy?

Four, running from a hand towel through a bath towel and bath sheet up to an extra-large sheet, so you can match a full set or buy singly.