Terminology for warmth-keeping fabric wares can get confusing.
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Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Can you explain to me the difference between a blanket and a throw? An afghan and a quilt? A bedspread and a duvet and a comforter? They all seem about the same thing to me. I recently received a birthday gift which, when I opened it, my friend said, “I thought this throw would look pretty with your couch.” It looked like a small blanket to me. Can you enlighten me on the differences?
— Kristi E.
Dear Kristi: Good question! The differences among these various items can be confusing and often hard to detect. But, I’ll try to help, starting with your new couch “throw.”
• Throw: Basically smaller than a blanket and often more decorative and luxurious (cashmere?). A traditional size is around 50 by 60 inches. You sleep under a blanket for extra warmth, usually in a bed. You get cozy and lounge on the couch or in a comfy chair with a throw.
• Afghan: A throw in size but often crafted by hand — knitted or crocheted — often handed down from grandma to mom to baby. Low warmth, high sentiment.
• Blanket: Used on a bed for additional warmth, usually sold in twin, full, queen or king sizes to go with standardized sizes of mattresses and sheets.
• Duvet: A blanket but puffy, not flat, filled with down, synthetic fibers or feathers. Often used instead of a blanket and can even replace the top sheet, especially when zipped into a “duvet cover,” which can be laundered more easily than a duvet.
• Comforter: Really the same thing as a duvet but without the cute French name. (”Duvet” is French for “down,” a softer, cuddlier version of feathers found on ducks and geese.) Like a duvet, comforters often are sewn through to keep the stuffing from moving around and getting lumpy.
• Bedspread: Usually a pretty fabric “topper” covering the entire bed, often only decorative but in some cases also is used as a light blanket in warmer weather.
• Quilt: Often a purely decorative bedspread giving the appearance of smaller pieces of fabric either machine or hand sewn in various traditional patterns. These have an Old World, nostalgic connotation though there are modern equivalents. They consist of three layers: the pretty top one, a thin layer of cotton or wool or synthetic “batting” and a bottom one-piece layer of cotton or synthetic blend with all three stitched together. Like a bedspread: low warmth.
And now to problems with a throw. Or is that a blanket?
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Help! Are there any plush throws/blankets out there that do not shed? After buying numerous throws, even ones labeled “hotel quality,” I give up. I find myself covered with lint after snuggling up with them. I tried washing and drying them, but no luck getting rid of the annoying bits of lint.
— Sue S.
Dear Sue: I feel your pain of getting snuggly with your throw/blanket only to find yourself covered in lint/fuzz/doghair-ish equivalents. This is especially maddening for those of us who wear a lot of black or dark-colored clothing.
As you point out, it is a crapshoot when buying. Will that get-cozy throw shed all over the place?
My best advice is to buy from a place with no-questions-asked returns.
Amazon.com (especially for Prime members) offers a reasonable money back return for lousy products. But read the fine print.
That isn’t much of an answer, I know. Here’s a thought, though: On a recent visit with friends, I was impressed with the quality and feel of a pretty velour-feel 100% polyester throw from Target’s well-priced plush room essentials line (target.com, $10-$25).
(Let’s hear from readers. Anybody out there got a really good solution for ridding cloth of lint/fuzz/dog hair? Everything I’ve tried has been disappointing.)
Angelic Readers
On the question of whether it is OK to wear pantyhose to a special event, even in warm weather, to conceal leg issues (my answer was yes), Jan G. responded:
“I commiserate with the lady that wanted to know if she can wear pantyhose. I have veiny legs, so if my dress is on the short side, it’s not a pretty sight. I went to a destination wedding in Las Vegas, and wore black pantyhose with my outfit and it looked good, but not so comfortable. My friend said if she has to, instead of pantyhose, she wears thigh-high hose. Also, there’s so many really cute and dressy pants, jumpsuits, etc., now that can be appropriate for most occasions.” (From Ellen: Technology has improved and thigh-high hose actually stay in place, with no drooping or tugging.)
