The New York Times-20080124-A New Front Opens In the Thread-Count Wars

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A New Front Opens In the Thread-Count Wars

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Thread count is so last century, said Paul Hooker, the president of the luxury sheet company Sferra. It really means nothing. Those are confounding words from the guy who says he broke the 1,000-thread-count barrier seven years ago. Since then, even no-name brands have learned to cheat the system and create 900-thread-count products using inferior cotton and multiple-ply yarn. To gain an edge, Mr. Hooker is using an Egyptian cotton known as Giza 45, typically sold to high-end shirt manufacturers like Thomas Pink, he said.

When asked if he had heard of Giza cotton, David Forster, the owner of Leron, a couture sheet store in Manhattan, said he hadn't. I guess it's a way for him to distinguish his Egyptian cotton from mine, he said, the way I would distinguish Rockland County from Westchester County. To evaluate the Giza sheet -- or any other in these post-thread-count days -- Mr. Forster suggests rubbing the corners against your cheek. The material felt silky and fine, much like an expensive shirt. But the Marie Antoinette doll Sferra sent as a promotion had a mixed message: press a button, and its head pops off. Sferra Giza 45 sheets will be in stores this March. Information: sferrralinens.com. PENELOPE GREEN

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