All about the foutas

I have a new obsession...foutas. I'm sure I'm late to climb on board the fouta train, but I just discovered them a few days ago.

I was looking for a kitchen towel that was out of the ordinary. I didn't want a plain, solid color terry or a waffle weave or a microfiber. I had bought a beautiful Vera Neumann print from Crate and Barrel a while back, but the vibrant colors didn't look quite right with the muted tones of my Harvest Time china collection, so the search was on.

I looked at all the predictable places for black, white or gray towels...Crate and Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, Chefs Catalog...but I couldn't find anything I really liked. Then I started to run across foutas, and I knew I had found the solution. They are much thinner than traditional towels, but they're said to be incredibly absorbent. I think they have a cool, fresh look. And I love that crazy fringe!

Historically, foutas were worn as clothing in Mediterranean countries. They were long, seamless pieces worn knotted around the midsection. Today they're being used as beach towels, sarongs and picnic blankets. Smaller sizes are used as bath towels, hand towels, throws and table runners.

The fouta I bought., by Scents and Feel
wayfair.com

And the other Scents and Feel fouta I bought
wayfair.com

fouta.en.hisupplier.com

twitter.com - Fouta de Val

abchome.com

margueritesondresden.com

Foutas aren't cheap, so I can see that this might become an expensive obsession. I'm going to try to exercise some self-control and limit my collection to two or three towels...maybe four. OK, five, tops. In the meantime, if you know of any support groups for foutaholics, let me know.