There’s no flat sheet involved. By “bottom sheet” in the OP, I meant fitted sheet. We just use that and the duvet, like most people here. So what we got was one bottom or fitted sheet, one duvet cover, four pillowcases and two bolster case. Many things are cheaper over here, but sheets sure ain’t one of 'em.
But you’re right, they should be cheaper. Don’t even get me started on the cost of glasses frames.
But they’re so comfy…
They sure are. They better be!
I get my bed linens from Tuesday Morning, a discount store that runs specials every so often. I love high count supima cotton bed linens and buy a set every time they’re under $100.00. One thing I have to do to ensure long life for my sheets: get a heavy duty pedicure every couple of months, no kidding. I can destroy sheets with my rough feet.
You want percale sheets. Nice quality percale sheets.
I picked up “Perfect Percale” brand sheets from Bed, Bath and Beyond a couple of weeks ago and really enjoy them. They are egyptian cotton and I think 400 thread count.
Very crisp and cool.
However, they DO tend to wrinkle in the laundry. For me, I don’t care…or that’s what irons are for. I hate hate hate sateen sheets.
My Favorite thread count is 600. The 1000 tc sheets I bought are almost like canvas. Too heavy but they will for sure never wear out.
I’ve been buying Lands End sheets for years, more for the deep pockets than for the thread count. The deep pockets mean that they fit a thick mattress, like one that’s 12-14 inches thick. (Many places sell sheets with deep pockets now, but when I first ordered the Lands End sheets, few did. And it was annoying to have the fitted sheet come undone in the middle of the night.) Lands End sheets also have the elastic all the way round the fitted sheet.
Want soft? Try flannel or jersey knit sheets.
I like lower thread-count percale. Like maybe 300, though you have to be careful, as some low-quality ones can be scratchy.
I find high thread-count sateens feel sort of “slimy” to me or something. And I haven’t found that higher thread-counts necessarily last longer.
It’s about quality, not thread count. And some sheets are just awesome for some unquantifiable reason.
I’ve got a closet full of sheets, collected here and there in my life’s journey. Most of them probably came from WalMart or a mall store. The last time we bought sheets my hubby went to WalMart and picked out a set (that was a couple of years ago).
IOW I am definitely not a sheet snob, and I must admit I’m like a previous poster upthread; I can’t concieve of any reason to pay through the nose for something I’m not going to notice. Heck, I don’t even care if they match, I’m going to be having my eyes closed the whole time I’m sleeping. 
ETA: I damn sure ain’t gonna be ironing sheets.
I don’t understand the longevity thing either. I’ve got functional sheets that are 25+ years old and they aren’t the high threadcount kind. What are people doing to their sheets that they wouldn’t last that long??
One time I bought expensive, high thread count sheets. My cat loved the texture, used the sheets as a scratching post, and ripped holes in them. I went back to normal sheets after that.
FYI, if you want to see what expensive sheets look like, take a look at the website for Frette, an Italian retailer of luxury linen. A complete set of sheets for a king-size bed might cost $1,100.
I like the feeling of very crisp and cool white sheets, but I cannot sleep under a sheet in the summer because I always have to have something heavier on top and then I’m all fuddled and hot. 
But…I love my Target sheets just fine. I would not spend $500 on a sheet set, even if I thought I could afford it.
eta: If I were going to spend $500 on anything, it would be a mattress. Which I did. I sleep through the night - something I haven’t done since I was a toddler.
I have always bought cheap sheets from Target or one of those Bed, Bath & Beyond type stores. I never really knew there was a difference between nice sheets and cheap sheets until I stayed at my mother-in-laws and slept in her king-size Sleep Number. I didn’t care much for the mattress but sheets felt so luxurious and I haven’t had a better night’s sleep in a very long time. I just love laying in the bed. I wish I could afford some nice sheets and a new mattress.
We saw some in the store that came close to that. Definitely in the US$800 range. Those were the really high thread counts.
As for ironing sheets, we never do that, but none we’ve had ever seem wrinkled. They get folded and put away straight from the dryer. Does the humid tropical climate straighten them out? It doesn’t work for shirts, I can tell you that.
Just went by the big Tuesday Morning warehouse store (near the headquarters in Dallas) and got a set of 1000 thread count cotton sheets for $89 on Friday.
I think thread count matters when all else is equal, but I’m sure there are some really top-notch 400 ct sheets out there that are better and softer than some 1000 ct sheets, due to better cotton, better weaving, etc…
FYI, here’s an article about buying bed linen. It quotes an expert who says that thread counts above 400 are a result of creative accounting. He says that manufacturers use two-ply cotton threads to achieve thread counts of 800 or 1000 per inch but that they really shouldn’t be counting each ply separately.
You should have waited til getting to NYC. $40-80 will get you 500 thread count sheets in the States.
Oh, we’ll still get some. Didn’t want to wait seven more months though.
Yeah, that’s all well and good, but wait till all the local pandas come sneaking into your room at night. :eek: