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glossary

Sateen Weave

Entity: sateen weave

Close view of a plush velvet headboard and matching upholstered bed
Many bed words describe fabric, shape or storage — this is how they look in a room.

In short

Sateen uses float yarns in the weave so more fibre sits on the surface. That creates a smoother, more lustrous hand than percale. It can feel slightly warmer and silkier against the skin. Sateen describes structure, not fibre. Cotton sateen and blended sateen behave differently in wash and breathability.

Definition. Sateen is a weave with floating yarns that create a smoother, more lustrous sheet surface than plain-weave percale of similar fibre.

See bed sheet materials and Percale vs sateen.