Wednesday, January 19, 2011

The story behind the traditional January White Sale

The White Sale is a tradition of having a great sale on bedding in the month of January. It started in 1878 when John Wanamaker decided to spruce up the cold winters of Philadelphia by creating the White Sale. Back then, in the 19th century, people didn’t have the luxury of having bedlinen with beautiful designs on them. Everybody’s’ bedding was simply white. Thus, the sale’s name was appropriately titled the White Sale.
Fast-forward to the present day, and our sheets are no longer just white! There are so many pretty designs that we can decorate our beds with, it’s almost overwhelming! Sometimes we wonder if the title White Sale is misleading, because the prints on our bedding come in lots of different colors, but the term White Sale has stuck with us even today. So enjoy Raksha Bella Organics’ January White Sale and let us all be thankful that we can now adorn our beds with such gorgeous patterns!
We at Raksha Bella Organic also want to thank you all for choosing organic cotton bedding for your homes. We have a mission to create a more sustainable world, starting in our homes. We want everyone to sleep with the comfort of knowing that our bed is a safe place without any harmful chemicals. Our organic cotton bedding is 100% GOTS-certified (GOTS: Global Organic Textile Standard), which we find to be a necessity. The GOTS certification ensures that everything from the duvet covers to pillowcases, our bedding is actually all 100% organic. Click here to read more about the GOTS-certification process.
Raksha Bella Organic is thankful that we are able to keep ancient Indian techniques still alive. All of our organic bedding is woodblock-printed by hand. This is an ancient artisanal technique of decorating fabric. It begins with a large block of wood, into which the artist carves intricate designs. After the wood block has been carved into, it is ready for printing. The dyes we use at Raksha Bella are all nontoxic low-impact dyes. Each color batch is mixed by hand, and color variation can naturally occur. Using this ancient tradition makes each of Raksha Bella’s organic cotton products unique. We wonder if Indians in ancient times decorated their beds with color, or if they were like the 19th-century Philadelphians, and only had white bedding available…?
Either way, Raksha Bella Organics’ January White Sale will certainly please your eyes. From our delicate elephants on Raksha Bella’s organic baby bedding, to the classic Indian Rose print on our pillowcases and duvet covers, we hope you find a design that will add a fresh look to your sustainable home.
Oh, we almost forgot to add this! Our January White Sale will not just include bedding, but also our organic cotton loungewear! We have collaborated with Erica Tanov and Loup Charmant to bring you the most beautiful and comfortable loungewear.