Choosing Towels with Care

When you wash your hands

When you wipe away sweat

When you step out of the bath…

Towels are one of those things we simply can't do without in our daily lives.

You can never have too many towels that feel good against your skin and quickly absorb moisture.

What's more, towels also make an easy choice when it comes to gift-giving.

ZUTTO carries a wide variety of towel items.

This time, we'll introduce a range of towels categorized by material and purpose.

We'll uncover some secrets about towels you may not have known,

and explore tips for choosing towels you'll want to use for years to come.

Although we simply call them "towels," there are many different ways they can be made,

resulting in differences in both appearance and texture.

At ZUTTO, we carry the following towel brands:

・Ten-I-Muhou (Tenimuhou)

・kontex

・imabari towel

・IKEUCHI ORGANIC

Each of these brands has its own distinctive materials and construction,

so let's take a closer look at what sets them apart.

1. Ten-I-Muhou (Tenimuhou)

Fluffy and soft to the eye,

Ten-I-Muhou towels seem to convey a sense of gentleness in every fiber.

From the cultivation, spinning, and weaving of organic cotton to product washing, dyeing, and sewing,

every step of the production process has earned GOTS certification for these organic products.

GOTS is an international certification standard for organic products, based on an audit

by Control Union of the Netherlands, said to represent the world's highest standard.

◆Supima 40/1 Series

・Design: A simple, plain towel.

・Texture: Supple and soft, with a fine, dense weave made possible by thin thread.

・Features:

Made from Supima cotton, considered one of the highest quality cottons available.

Ordinary cotton fibers are about 28mm in length,

but Supima cotton fibers measure 35mm or more, allowing for the spinning

of extremely fine 40-count thread, which cannot be woven from ordinary cotton.

◆Slub Gauze Face Towel Set

・Design: A stylish towel with a border pattern and fringe trim.

・Texture: A crisp, textured feel reminiscent of hand-spun fabric.

・Features:

Combines soft, plain-woven gauze on one side with looped pile fabric on the other.

The original slub yarn used has both thin and thick sections along its fibers.

As a result, the towel offers excellent breathability and quick-drying performance.

◆Triple Gauze Mini Towel Set

・Design: An adorable mini towel featuring a fruit pattern.

・Texture: Airy and light, with a soft feel.

・Features:

Made by layering three sheets of gauze together.

Despite being triple-layered, since it's gauze,

it's thin enough that you can faintly see through to the other side.

Lightweight, yet highly absorbent and water-retentive.

2. kontex

Next, let's take a look at kontex towels.

Made in Imabari, a region known for cotton textile production along the Seto Inland Sea,

kontex towels are woven

using old-fashioned shuttle looms and the once-renowned TOYODA loom,

at a slow pace—one-third the speed of modern machinery—to avoid putting stress on the thread.

◆Flax Line Series

・Design: A single line of linen thread serves as a distinctive accent.

・Texture: The gauze side and pile side offer different textures,

with an overall smooth and refreshing feel.

・Features:

Combines gauze on one side with pile on the other,

using 100% organic cotton for the pile section.

The pile section is designed to keep volume low, so the towel doesn't become bulky.

This towel becomes softer the more you use it.

◆Herringbone Series

・Design: A herringbone pattern of connected V-shapes

is colored in vivid navy, green, and bright red.

・Texture: Thick, fluffy, and plush.

・Features:

Unlike the Flax Line series, both sides are pile fabric.

The towel's edges are folded and finished, so there's little worry

about pile loss even with repeated use.

3. imabari towel

Born in the same region of Imabari as kontex

is imabari towel's

Hibino Kozue Towel series.

Bleaching and dyeing are carried out using high-quality water,

including groundwater sourced from the underground flow of the Sosha River

and from the sacred Mount Ishizuchi.

◆Hibino Kozue Towel Series

・Design: Simple white with red or blue lines.

・Texture: Smooth and lustrous.

・Features:

Made using combed Supima cotton yarn, which maintains uniformity

even among extra-long-staple fibers.

Woven in a honeycomb pattern, these towels are said to have little fuzz

and high absorbency.

You'll enjoy a texture that gradually softens over time.

4. IKEUCHI ORGANIC

Last but not least is IKEUCHI ORGANIC, well known for its "towels woven by the wind."

Woven at a factory powered by wind energy,

The towels are Oeko-Tex certified,

the safety of the product is guaranteed.

◆Bamboo Series

・Design: Soft, pale tones with a subtle sheen.

・Feel: Smooth and lustrous, almost like silk.

・Features:

Said to have about 1.7 times the water absorbency of cotton,

the Bamboo Series is made using bamboo fiber.

Because bamboo fiber has a large surface area, it not only absorbs water well but also

releases moisture efficiently, helping to suppress the growth of mold and the development of odors.

◆Straits Organic Series

・Design: A striped pattern expressing the waves of a strait

・Feel: Soft and fluffy pile fabric.

・Features:

Made from organic cotton,

this towel is woven entirely with pile fabric, right down to the hem at the edges,

so the entire towel has a fluffy texture and

absorbs water no matter where it touches your skin.

Towels come not only in different materials and constructions, but also in a variety of sizes.

Arranged roughly from smallest to largest,

the types are as follows.

・Mini Towel

・Hand Towel

・Guest Towel

・Wash Towel

・Face Towel

・Bath Towel

The main appeal of a mini towel is that it's easy to carry around,

used much like a handkerchief.

A size that's convenient to carry with you is ideal.

Since you'll be taking it out with you often,

you might find yourself wanting to choose a cute design.

Hand towels, guest towels, and

wash towels are all a comfortable size to hold in both hands.

They're perfect for placing in the bathroom or washroom,

or for using as hand wipes at the dining table.

It's reassuring to have towels of quality material and design on hand

that you can present in front of guests when they visit.

The elongated face towel is

another all-purpose player that comes in handy in many situations.

You can hang it on a towel rack in the washroom or kitchen,

use it to wipe away sweat during sports,

use it in place of a pillowcase, or as a bath towel for a baby's bath time—

it can be used in all kinds of situations.

The well-known bath towel is a bathroom essential.

Being wrapped in a fluffy towel after a bath

somehow puts you in a happy mood, doesn't it?

Since it's a towel you'll use every day without fail,

we recommend choosing a size large enough to wrap your whole body,

made from a slightly higher-quality, skin-friendly material.

Towels are often chosen as one of the classic go-to gifts.

No matter who you give one to, they're sure to use it for a long time thanks to its practicality,

and perhaps it's the image of a soft, fluffy, gentle feel on the skin that makes it such a popular choice.

At ZUTTO, we offer towel sets that are easy to choose as gifts,

suited to different tastes and budgets.

Since the towel sets come in a box, we're also happy to accommodate requests for noshi (gift wrapping with a formal paper wrapper).

The ZUTTO original towel set

features a lovely, soft palette and can even be used for babies, making it

a popular choice for celebrating the birth of a child.

Slub Gauze Face Towel Set (3,348 yen)

With vivid, distinct colors and

a set of towels in different sizes,

this makes a great gift for a housewarming or a greeting.

Herringbone Face & Guest Towel Set (3,650 yen)

With a basic design that suits any recipient,

this towel set comes with a face towel and a bath towel

paired together.

Presented in a chic box, it makes a wonderful gift

for a housewarming or as a token of thanks.

Flax Line Face & Bath Towel Set B (8,446 yen)

A carefully chosen towel is something you'll want to enjoy using for a long time.

A soft towel so fluffy you want to bury your face in it

has a secret to lasting a long time—

simply by being a little mindful of how you care for it.

◆Choosing Detergent

To maintain the towel's texture, it's best to use a detergent made from naturally derived ingredients.

Using a detergent containing chlorine bleach or fluorescent whitening agents

may cause the color to fade, so it's best to avoid them.

At ZUTTO, we carry

Signature Detergent Classic (laundry detergent), made from naturally derived ingredients.

Now, as for fabric softener…

we'd like to recommend one, but fabric softener coats

the fibers,

which can reduce the towel's water absorbency and may also cause it

to become fuzzy, so we can't recommend using it.

◆How to Wash

To prevent color fading or color transfer, the best water temperature for washing

is tap water up to about 40°C.

Also, to prevent the pile from snagging,

wash separately from clothing with metal fastenings.

Washing in a mesh laundry bag also helps prevent dust and lint from sticking to the towel.

◆How to Dry

Now, arguably the most important part of towel care

is the drying process.

Once you take the towel out of the washing machine, hold both ends

and give it a good, vigorous shake.

The reason you shake a towel is that standing up the fibers (pile) and letting them hold air

gives the towel a fluffy texture.

Organic cotton in particular tends to return to its natural state as it dries,

so be sure to shake it well.

The best place to dry towels is somewhere shaded with good ventilation.

If left in direct sunlight for a long time, the fabric can dry out excessively,

and may become stiff.

We also don't recommend using a dryer, since it can easily damage the fabric.

◆If the pile comes loose

One issue that often occurs with towels is loose pile threads.

If you find a long fiber sticking out of the fabric,

don't worry — simply cut the loose pile at its base with scissors.

If you leave it uncut, it may spread to other areas, so please be careful.

How did you like our guide to choosing a carefully crafted towel?

Precisely because a towel is such an essential part of daily life,

choosing one made with slightly more attention to material and craftsmanship than usual

lets you feel that comfort every time you touch it.

From the wide range of options available to suit your own preferences,

we hope you'll find a favorite of your own.

Tenimuho Towels

・Triple Gauze Mini Towel Set

・Supima 40/1 Face Towel

・Slub Gauze Face Towel Set

kontex Towels

・Flax Line Face Towel Set

・Herringbone Face & Guest Towel Set

imabari towel Towels

・Hibino Kozue Towel Hand Towel

IKEUCHI ORGANIC Towels

・Bamboo Face Towel

・Straits Organic Face Towel

Other Products

・Signature Detergent Classic (Laundry Detergent)

・Round Rattan Basket