Retro Stripe Chunky Cotton Towel

Wide, soft-edged stripes in two tones — rose and brown, brown and green, blue and green, yellow and white — give this towel a distinctly seventies feel without tipping into costume. The stripes are woven through, not printed, and the loop is deliberately chunky, so the cloth has weight and texture and looks as good folded on an open shelf as it does in use.

The heavier loop means more surface area and more absorbency; it takes a little longer to dry than a lightweight towel, which is the honest trade for how it feels. The cotton is combed and low-lint, so it stops shedding after the first couple of washes, and the colours are yarn-dyed rather than surface-printed and hold up to repeated hot washing.

Three formats: a single 35 x 75 cm hand towel, a 70 x 140 cm bath towel, and a pair of hand towels for a guest bathroom or a matching set at two basins. Wash at 40°C, skip the fabric softener, and tumble dry on a low heat to bring the loop back up. The pair option is worth taking for a guest bathroom, where two matching hand towels hung together look considered in a way one solitary towel never quite manages.

• Chunky yarn-dyed cotton terry, woven stripe
• Colourways: rose/brown, brown/green, blue/green, yellow/white
• Formats: hand towel 35 x 75 cm, bath towel 70 x 140 cm, pair of hand towels
• Heavyweight loop for high absorbency
• Low-lint combed cotton
• Machine wash at 40°C; avoid fabric softener