Today’s bedding is very different from decades ago – even as recently as the ‘60s and ‘70s a typical bed was covered with a bedspread and pillows were used but not seen. The bedroom was often decorated in a floral theme with toile bedding or a chenille bedspread with a floral embellishment. The bed was made with sheets, then a blanket; the bedspread served as a decorative cover and helped to hide the pillows.
Modern bedding has an entirely different look, beginning with the bed skirt. Since bedspreads are used far less frequently, a bed skirt covers the box spring and legs of the bed; sheets are still about the same although they are sold as a set with a convenient fitted bottom sheet instead of two flat sheets and sheet sets typically include one or two standard pillow cases. Blankets see much less use than in the past as they have by and large been replaced by comforters filled with down, down-alternative or other material. The comforter or quilt effectively replaces both the blanket and the bedspread, providing both warmth and decoration.
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Perhaps the biggest change in bedding in the last four decades is the pillow – once used but not seen, pillows are now front and center on the bed, with pillows in all shapes and sizes attractively displayed as a focal point. Popular pillow shapes include the European or square pillow along with the neck roll. Pillows on display are most often covered with decorative pillow shams.