BY COYUCHI

Life in New England, where I split my time between the island of Nantucket, MA and the coastal community of Westport, CT, means cherishing every warm, sunshiny day of our short summer season. This means dining alfresco for most meals, taking a dip in the pool or hopping into my car at a moment’s notice for a picnic at the beach, a swim, a spur-of-the-moment cocktail gathering on the sand or simply a walk over the dunes or through the salt marsh at dawn or dusk. Wherever I go and for whatever I do, I need good towels!

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My obsession with beautiful linens began with my part-time job in the linen department of Bloomingdale’s during college. It was there I came to know “quality” at a very young age.

What I look for in a Beach Towel

The quest for a good towel has always been, and remains today, at the very top of my list of must-have luxuries. My towels need to be light weight, absorbable, stylish, quick to dry, soft to the touch, 100% organic cotton and easy to be on the run with! They also need to be thin enough to fit comfortably into my linen closets in perfectly folded, neatly arranged piles. I have found just that towel in the Mediterranean Organic Towel by Coyuchi. This deliciously soft flat weave towel made in Turkey of 100% organic cotton satisfies all of the above. Its stylish chic weave in rich earth tones is edged in white hand-knotted fringe adding that perfect touch of whimsy I am always looking for in design.

Coyuchi, which means the naturally occurring brownish color of cotton, is a company that prides themselves in being ahead of their time as leaders in the organic community for almost 30 years now, striving to honor socially and ecologically responsible practices. Their approach to production takes into consideration “the cleanest, most sustainable methods…from the seed and soil through manufacturing and packaging”.

They’ve been awarded the GOTS certification, which stands for Global Organic Textile Standard.

“GOTS is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria…”

~ global-standard.org ~

It’s no small wonder these towels check off all the boxes!

Versatility is key for me I can use this towel as a poolside towel, a picnic blanket, a pareo, a tablecloth, a shawl or a bath towel. Its large 39 X 71 inches is slightly larger than a bath sheet and easily interchangeable, particularly because of its light weight.

Seaside

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The most relaxing place to be, for me, is by the sea. And maybe that’s why we live in two coastal communities! I can spend the entire day at the beach often serving up two meals. On Nantucket we drive our Jeep right over the sand and down to the water’s edge. The versatility of this towel really shines here allowing me to use it as a tablecloth, a blanket, a pareo and a chair cover!

Pareo

This is one of my favorites! A pareo, as we know it, is a wrap around skirt whose origins began in Tahiti and the Cook Islands. Amazingly, this Mediterranean towel can be just that, too! I love to wrap myself in it and walk through the dunes or out to the jetty. Or you can just wrap yourself in it to dry off, to run to the car, or to just warm up after a swim. Its light weight and soft feel makes this towel the perfect choice for a fashionable and simply luxurious wrap.

Poolside

I must say, I do love an early morning dip in the pool. But my favorite is a late afternoon gathering often at the end of a long day of shooting. Cold pink lemonade and a warm pool is always on my summer agenda! These towels are great for this! I can carry five of them down to the pool in my beach bag. The color is quiet and blends in seamlessly with the landscape surround. And they are so comfortable to lay on. It all works for me!

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Shawl

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Our New England evenings can be a bit chilly, and our weather can also change in a heartbeat. I like to provide a shawl for my guests which I usually just neatly hang over the back of each dining chair. The smooth weave of this towel doesn’t compete with any tablescape design and simply makes the evening more comfortable for my guests providing warmth or even just a padded chair backing.