Blankets Site : What Does Your College Bedding Say?

"College bedding can make a personal statement," says Catherine Gentile, public relations manager of Bed, Bath & Beyond. She says their bedspreads range from school logo prints, to bright colors and wild prints. The list of supplies students need for their dorm rooms is exhaustive, she admits, but an often overlooked, yet helpful item, is Bed Bath & Beyond's new "Allergy Luxe Bed Bug mattress protector," which will protect students from any of those godforsaken creatures that could be lurking in a big city school. Products aside, there are many stylistic considerations to make when it comes to comforter sets and sheets.

Here are a few helpful tips for you when you go shopping for dorm bedding. First, buy extra-long twin sheets. Normal sheets won't fit the beds properly. Secondly, don't get white. You'll be pretty much living in your room and the last thing you want is something that's boring and will show stains. Buy more than one set of sheets because, regardless of your intentions, you're going to put off doing laundry. You should change your sheets every week, ideally, so keep that in mind. Lastly, buy a mattress pad! Whether it's memory foam, feather down or egg crate, you'll need some sort of defense against the rock solid, one-inch-thick dorm room mattress.

Next you'll need to consider college bedding brand and style. "The school market is half of our business," says Jared Clark, VP of creative services at Tommy Hilfiger. At Macy's, the Tommy Hilfiger bedding is flying off the shelves with both guy and girl shoppers. "We identify with what the male shopper wants, and we've always had great success with dorm bedding by offering quite a few guy-friendly styles in our mix-and-match program for the top of bed that includes coordinating 200 thread-count cotton sheets," Clark explains. "We were the first company to offer preppy, youthful-inspired printed sheet sets on T200. Tommy H is very generic, more conservative and above all comfortable. Guys like simple plaids and stripes, colors like navy and red are big sellers, along with khaki and a red, white and blue combo."

There are many places to shop for college bedding. For instance, www.jcpenney.com offers the "Home Expression" 250 thread-count cotton sheets with coordinating comforters in twelve different solids. They also offer 300 thread-count "Splash" sheet sets that are cool, comfortable and colorful. Guys might like the 100% cotton "Stone Washed Demin Bedding" from www.thecompanystore.com. For students who want that "modern" look, www.designpublic.com has a great selection of bold colors and graphic patterns.

Today's Tip On Blankets

Or perhaps you're looking to accent your living room with a throw blanket. These types of blankets can be found in all patterns, colors, materials and sizes. The best thing about throws is that they're functional, as well as practical. Not only will they keep you warm while you're watching a movie, but they'll also liven up your room. Many first-time home buyers will choose a patterned throw blanket with at least three colors, and then match their furniture and wall paint to the colors in the blanket. At www.overstock.com, for instance, you can find everything from fuzzy animal fleece throws and hotel luxury throws in heavyweight chenille, Italian made cashmere and Italian lambswool. Whether you want a throw for your couch or your bed, you'll be able to blend style and comfort given the many options available.