Give your bathroom a vintage look with retro bath towels. Retro decorating is hotter than ever and this type of towel will help give your bathroom a blast from the past.
What Is Retro Style?
Retro style is typically classified as anything reminiscent of�fashion and d�cor from the mid-twentieth century. These items�were popular between the 1950s and 1970s. However, there is no clear definition for retro eras. In fact, the term�can represent styles that date as far back as the 1920s or as recently as the 1990s.
For most people, the�most common retro designs are those influenced by the atomic age of the 1950s. This decade reflects a time when science and space exploration were starting to peak. The next decade was�the psychedelic age. These 1960s styles brought loud, colorful prints into the�upholstery and textiles industries. Floral, geometric and abstract patterns were very popular in psychedelic and neon colors. Jacquard weaves with their three dimensional textures were also�common fabric choices.
Towel Styles
The bath towel styles usually defined as retro often incorporate bold use of color and dynamic patterns. Styles include:
- Colorful stripes
- Circular or bubble designs
- Abstract wave or 'wiggle' patterns
- Damask patterns
Colors such as orange, turquoise, avacodo, mustard yellow also were popular. Pastels and more delicate floral designs are reminiscient of earlier retro styles and can add a romantic touch to a bathroom. Sculpted floral and other designs on chenille towels were popular in decades past and have a definitive vintage feel.
Shopping for Retro Bath Towels
Ironically, retro style decorating is often associated with modern style decorating.�If you wish to create a�retro bathroom design, you can include decade specific elements, such as a black and white checkered tile floor, a pedestal sink and a claw foot bathtub. You can complete the look of this bathroom style by adding matching retro-style bath towels.
A great place to find different styles of retro towels is Anthropologie. Here you can find attractive retro designs, such as a plush jacquard weave that gives vintage style bath towels such great texture. You can also find retro towels in bright, colorful prints that resemble the tie-dyed fashions from the 1960s and 1970s.
If earth tones are more your style, you can find vintage style towels in natural shades of green and brown in the Retro re-mix Towels at Bed Bath and Beyond. These towels have a simple striped pattern with bars of color in varying widths.
The Renaissance towel collection at Towel Selections has a classic jacquard design. These towels are available in six attractive colors including chocolate, thyme, ivory, seafoam, taupe and white. These towels would look great in a retro style bathroom with colored tile.
Although there are many places that sell new towels with a retro vibe, you can also browse auction sites for unused or lightly used towels that are actually from past decades of you want an authentic towel.
Fiber Choices for Retro Towels
A good quality retro bath towel is thick and features long, densely packed loops or piles designed to efficiently absorb water. This type of cotton�fabric is referred to as terrycloth. Retro towels are usually made from some type of cotton fiber; however, there are several types you may want to consider.�The cotton fiber length and fineness is called a staple. The longer the�staple cotton is, the higher the quality.
Upland cotton is the most common type of bath towel�cotton and comes from short�to medium staples. You can find many vintage style bath towels made from Egyptian cotton, which has an extra long staple and is�considered a higher quality. Bath towels made from Supima cotton, another extra long staple cotton, are comparable to Egyptian cotton towels.
Some styles of vintage bath towels feature a velour printed front with a terry cloth back, such as the Florian Palampore Organic Bath Towels from Pottery Barn. However, if you want a more absorbent bath towel, you may�prefer the 1970s pattern of the Marimekko Samovaari Leaf Bath Towel available at Crate & Barrel.
Embroidered Towels
Vintage embroidered towels make nice collectible items and you can find a large selection of these�towels on auction sites such as eBay. Many of the towels you find there are real antiques and�are usually�one-of-a-kind items that you can?t find anywhere else. This type of towel makes a�great display item if you have a retro storage unit or shelves in your bathroom where you can display these along with other vintage collectibles. Depending on the age and condition of�any vintage towels you find, the fabric might not withstand repeated laundering, so you may choose to use the�towels only as decorative items.
A Nostalgic Touch
Retro designs add an air of nostalgia to any d�cor. Vintage towels give an air of authenticity to your bath design, but you may find a modern retro design more serviceable and practical. Even if you don't have a retro bathroom design, you can still add a few retro bath towels for that special touch.
