Cloth napkins and napkin rings

How to choose cloth napkins

Start with the fabric feel you want at the table. Cotton gauze, like The Crinkled Gauze Napkin, is soft and lightly textured, with fringed edges that give a relaxed look. Plain linen, like The Pure Linen Napkin Set, has a smooth hand and a subtle natural sheen that reads a bit dressier. Woven cotton gingham, like The Gingham Cotton Napkin, brings a clean check pattern that works for casual dinners and summer tables.

Then think about how many you need. The Crinkled Gauze Napkin and The Gingham Cotton Napkin are sold per piece, so you can order exactly the number of seats you set. The Pure Linen Napkin Set comes as a 4-pack, which suits a standard four-seat table or a small set of spares.

Color is the last step. The Crinkled Gauze Napkin comes in 24 colors, from off white and beige to burgundy, olive green and prussian blue. The Pure Linen Napkin Set comes in 16 colors, including linen, white, black, terracotta and moss green. The Gingham Cotton Napkin comes in red, yellow, dust blue, khaki and black. Pick a color that either matches your plates or contrasts with them, both read well.

Sizes and measuring

All the cloth napkins here are close to square and close to the same size. The Crinkled Gauze Napkin is 16 x 16 in (41 x 41 cm). The Pure Linen Napkin Set is 16 x 16 in (40 x 40 cm). The Gingham Cotton Napkin is 16.5 x 16.5 in (42 x 42 cm).

That size works for most meals. A 16 in (41 cm) napkin covers a lap without hanging low, and it folds into quarters or a simple roll for a napkin ring. If you like a larger napkin for dinner parties, a 16.5 in (42 cm) square gives a little more fabric to work with. If you want a smaller cocktail napkin, these are bigger than that, so plan them for full place settings.

For napkin rings, check the opening against your folded napkin. The Wood Napkin Ring Set has a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) inner diameter, which suits a tightly rolled or folded napkin. The Gold Leaf Napkin Ring is 2.63 x 2.36 in (6.7 x 6 cm). The Balloon Napkin Ring Set and The Hamsa Mirror Napkin Ring Set are decorative pieces that sit around a folded napkin, so a standard 16 in (41 cm) square works well with them.

Materials and what they feel like

The Crinkled Gauze Napkin is 100% cotton gauze with a crinkled texture and fringed edges. It feels light and airy, and the texture hides small wrinkles. The Pure Linen Napkin Set is 100% linen, plain dyed, with a smooth surface that softens over time. The Gingham Cotton Napkin is 100% cotton in a woven gingham check, a mid-weight fabric with a crisp hand.

Napkin rings come in a few materials. The Gold Leaf Napkin Ring is aluminum alloy in gold. The Wood Napkin Ring Set is wood in brown, with a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) inner diameter. The Balloon Napkin Ring Set is aluminum alloy in blue, orange, yellow and purple. The Hamsa Mirror Napkin Ring Set is mirror acrylic in rose gold, gold and silver.

Because the cloth napkins are handmade, size and color may vary slightly from piece to piece. That is normal for this kind of production and rarely shows once the table is set.

Care and washing

All three cloth napkins follow the same routine: machine wash cold, hang dry, low iron. Wash them with like colors, especially the deeper shades such as burgundy, prussian blue, black and rust red. Hang drying keeps the size and shape steady. A low iron smooths linen and cotton if you want a crisp look, though the gauze napkin is meant to keep its crinkled texture, so you can skip ironing it.

The napkin rings are easy to keep clean. The Wood Napkin Ring Set wipes clean with a dry cloth. The Hamsa Mirror Napkin Ring Set wipes clean with a soft dry cloth. Keep the mirror acrylic and the aluminum alloy rings away from harsh cleaners so the finish stays bright.

Mixing napkins and rings

You do not need a matched set. A plain linen napkin in white or linen color with The Gold Leaf Napkin Ring gives a clean, formal place setting. A gingham napkin in red or dust blue with The Wood Napkin Ring Set leans casual and works for family dinners. The Balloon Napkin Ring Set in blue, orange, yellow and purple adds a bright note to a plain napkin, and The Hamsa Mirror Napkin Ring Set in rose gold, gold or silver brings a little shine to a holiday table.

If you are setting a table for a group, count one napkin and one ring per seat, then add one or two spares. Single-piece napkins make that easy, and the 4-pack and 12-pack rings cover most tables without extra ordering.