Gingham Quilted Cotton Sham

Gingham is the pattern that never quite goes out, and on a sham it reads tailored rather than nostalgic.

Underneath the check there is a subtle quilted texture, so the surface has relief to it even where the pattern goes quiet. The cotton is breathable, which is the practical half of the piece — a sham gets handled and slept against, and a cloth that moves air is worth more there than one that only looks good. Soft structure is the fair description: it holds a shape without going rigid.

Prop it behind your pillows and it does its work immediately, adding a layer of timeless texture to a bed set without changing its colour scheme. It layers effortlessly against solids, and it will sit beside other prints as long as they are working at a different scale. A check this classic is easier to combine than most patterns, which is most of the reason to own one.