In the past, I've had a long-suffering, love-hate relationship with my towels. On one hand, they are a necessary piece of the puzzle that is my daily cleanliness routine; on the other hand, I found they could be so frustratingly inefficient at what their core purpose should be and therefore pushed to an overlooked piece of fabric hanging there on my wall. This is why I've sat back and taken a look into why it is important to know how to choose towels that will go above and beyond your expectations in terms of quality, design and function. I'm aiming to discuss everything there is to know about buying luxury towels that fit perfectly into your bathroom decor and work with you as opposed to against you to help elevate your everyday routines.

As you may know, towels come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The most common are bath towels, hand towels and washcloths. But there are also other, more luxurious options such as bath sheets which offer even more comfort and coverage when you step out of your bath or shower.

If we're talking about feel then this often simply comes down to how well-made it is: whether the material feels soft or not against your skin; whether the towel is able to absorb all of the moisture after your shower; whether there are awkward seams where they shouldn't be (or vice versa); whether more of the towel has been left in the dryer's lint trap than on the towel itself...if any of these things tend to pop into your mind when you step out of a relaxing bath, then maybe it's a sign that it's time to rethink your relationship with your towel too!

Cotton is the most common towel fabric and plays an important role, but a towel made out of 100% cotton isn't always the best option available to you nowadays. Cotton towels are generally strong, but tend to wear out over time. That's where Lyocell, a popular choice for inclusion in luxury towels, comes in because of its soft, lightweight, long-lasting, hypoallergenic and eco-friendly properties.

When looking at the make-up of a towel, it's important to know what the various fibers can do and cannot do in terms of performance and comfort.

Cotton provides a strong base and can be comfortable and effective for the first little while, but Cotton fibers are not as hydrophilic as some other fibers such as Lyocell and tend to lose their absorbing abilities after multiple washes. The fact that Lyocell fibers are so hydrophilic means that they are able to absorb moisture really efficiently, and then release that moisture again really quickly which helps prevent the growth of bacteria and odors that so often are associated with lower quality towels.

Just like in every other industry, over time, technology changes and advances, so incorporating the leading-edge fibers into bath towels was a natural progression. Over the years, we've all moved away from using floppy disks to store information, getting up from the couch to turn a knob for a different channel, and driving with a 6-square-foot map laid out on the dashboard to try and figure out the best route to our destinations. Perhaps, it's time to move away from the towels your parents let you take with you when you moved out of their house a decade ago.

The design and color of your towels are also important factors to keep in mind. The color you choose can help show your personality. For example, if you're a nature lover, maybe you choose a Hunter-green towel that then pairs with the leaf patterned shower curtain and other natural-themed accessories you have in your bathroom. If you live for that monochrome life, then you may choose to go with a rich, Raven-black stack of bath towels to contrast against the bright white tiles you've redone your bathroom in.

The color of your towels will affect how they look in a particular space or how that particular space looks with them in it. The right combination can set an elegant tone while others may suggest sophistication or fun depending on what they say about the person using them.

I've learned that towels can be a thing of beauty, comfort and responsibility. Towels can be the type of product that you can buy for cheap in bulk and not worry about too much because as they wear out, you just move on to the next one. However, in a world where so much is created and then discarded, I've come to believe that if there is a way to invest in products that will stand up to daily use, are manufactured in an ethical and sustainable way, all while looking and feeling amazing, then that is where I want to take my relationship with my towel to.

I know that towels are generally an unglamorous thing to talk about, if they're talked about at all, but they play a big role in our everyday lives and have the potential to elevate your everyday routines if you let them. As one of the most intimate products we use day in and day out, a good towel can make all the difference between a bad day and a good one. I believe that my towel should help prolong the comforting and relaxing experience of a Sunday-evening bath, or that it should continue to help me feel refreshed and energized after a Thursday morning shower as I look to push through to the end of the week. I no longer want to come out of my shower to a wash-warn old towel past its best before date and have instead chosen to use only the best.

To learn more about what makes Aestate's collection so great, click here to read about the specific design and materials we've developed our towels with.