Baltic Dresses Bed, Bath

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 11/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

New York —

Drawing from dressmaker details rather than mom's boudoir, Baltic Linens is now offering Wardrobe — a bedding and bath line that draws its inspiration from fashion apparel.

The company created this new concept for sheets, top-of-bed, bath towels and bath accessories intended for professional and fashionable 30-something customers — “as well as the customer who might be older but has the mentality of someone under 40,” said Mark Lichter, president.

Jane Berger, vice president, design, bedding, said, “This consumer reads fashion magazines and watches TV shows about fashion, and she is really keyed in on what's going on in apparel. Apparel kinds of fabrics are what she is looking for and identifies with, but that's what is missing in the marketplace. This consumer isn't ready to decorate her room like her mom, with heavy brocade, for example. She is looking for a simpler, cleaner look that is more casual yet still elegant.

“The cut-and-sew capability is out there, and everyone is going overseas to add all the embellishments, but this consumer doesn't want that. So we took the very best of dressmaker details and applied them in an understated manner to bed and bath for her.”

Baltic partnered with designer Matthew Sudock, who operates his own interior design and marketing firm here, MDesign, to help develop Wardrobe.

“We wanted to create something fashionable and luxurious but affordable,” he said. “We took a lot of our cues from what is happening in fashion apparel, and we looked at the new line as clothing, like an outfit, for the bed and bath. It makes it so simple and easy for the customer to understand.”

The result is four design collections, each with two to three patterns, within Wardobe — Let's Do Lunch, Perfectly Suited, New Regency and Bamboo Style.

In bedding, the sheets are 350-count cotton, and some of the collections coordinate with throws, duvets, coverlets and decorative pillows.

In Let's Do Lunch, looks for the two beds — Golightly and Audrey — are inspired by the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany's.” Dressmaker details include pencil pleating, pin tucking and miniature scallops in a shirting stripe pattern with blossoms. Tweed is used as an accent fabric.

Perfectly Suited comes in two patterns — Savile Row and Bespoke Flannel. Inspired by men's suiting, they feature pinstripes in multiple colors, gray flannel and paisley patterns.

New Regency hails the golden ages of Hollywood glamour and British bathing resorts. Patterns include: Cabana, a yellow, black and white graphic design; Wilshire, which features a Greek key motif; and Brentwood, a calligraphy-like scroll floral and vine pattern.

Bamboo Style — in the three nature-inspired patterns Bamboo Vine, Bamboo Stitchery and Bamboo Lacquer — comprises eco-friendly beds that blend silken bamboo fibers with 100 percent combed cotton.

For the bath, Baltic has shower curtains and accessories to coordinate with four of the patterns in the Wardrobe line.

Bath towel ensemble offerings fall into the Let's Do Lunch, Perfectly Suited and New Regency collections.

Constructions of bath towels include a solid colored velour with a jacquard floral border, a solid colored piece-dyed velour with a terry pile reverse, a solid colored velour accented with ribbon-like mini-dobby stripes, a yarn-dyed black and white animal hide design and a solid colored piece-dyed towel with sculpted stripes.

Price points include $300 to $350 for a queen comforter set, $129.99 for a queen sheet set, and $14.99 to $19.99 for bath towels.