Bedding terms?

Question

What exactly do these mean and how are they different?
1. Duvet
2. Coverlet
3. Sham & Pillowcase difference?
I want a king size fitted sheet,sheet & pillow cases. Where do I find this and what other names will this combination be called?
(All I find in many store are full/queen printed sets :( )

Pls suggest something cheap..I'm on a limited budget.

Answer 1

Duvet: A quilt, usually with a washable cover, that may be used in place of a bedspread and top sheet

Coverlet: A bedspread.

Sham: A decorative cover made to simulate an article of household linen and used over or in place of it. (Most of these seem to have "ruffles" around them, while pillow cases don't).

Don't know what stores you are shopping in, but K-Mart, WalMart, etc., all carry King size sets of sheets & pillow cases, as well as individually packaged ones.

Answer 2

A Duvet is a comforter. You are probably seeing "duvet covers" listed in ads for bedding.
A Coverlet is a bed covering that is smaller than a bedspread and is intended to be used on top of something else on the bed. Often a fancy (embroidered, etc.) coverlet goes over another full-sized plain bedspread. But the word isn't used too much anymore.
A Sham is a protective cover that the entire pillow (with pillowcase) goes in when the bed is made. The pillow is taken out of the sham for use at night. It may or may not be washable.
A Pillowcase is the basic removable covering for a pillow. It is washable.

I'm surprised that you can't find King Bedding Sets. That would seem to be a pretty common name for what you want. Maybe you should try "King Sheet Sets", if you are looking online. And make sure if you know whether you have a California King or regular size King bed. The California King is slightly larger.

Answer 3

A duvet is like a huge pillow case for a type of blanket, you don't need one. I'm not sure on a coverlet. Shams are fancy pillowcases that are more for decoration you just want an ordinary pillow case. Try looking at Target/K-Mart/Walmart for some inexpensive sheets. A general rule of thumb is the higher the thread count the better.

Answer 4

A duvet is a fabric cover meant to hold a comforter. A coverlet is usually a thin quilt like throw. Shams and pillowcases both hold pillows but the shams are for looks. There are standard and european shams. European shams are square. King size sets are just that....no other name. All stores carry them...Target, Wal-Mart, department stores, Linens n Things, Bed Bath and Beyond etc.