Those who like soft, smooth sheets on their beds probably love sateen sheets. Sateen is a cotton fabric with a luster resembling that of satin. It is used for sheets and apparel.

Sateen starts with long-fiber, combed or carded cotton. The cotton is then mercerized to bring out a sheen. Mercerization involves soaking the fiber in a bath of sodium hydroxide (i.e., lye) and then in an acid bath. The result makes the cotton fiber stronger and more easily dyed. It also adds a luster to the fibers.

This mercerized luster is one of the hallmarks of good sateen. Sateen should be very soft to the touch, with a high thread count, and should drape well. Sateen fabric uses the satin stitch in construction, which means the threads are mostly on one side of the fabric, giving that smooth look.

One other type of sateen is lining sateen. Sateen used for lining jackets or wraps is usually a heavy, luxurious, yet sturdy fabric. This kind of sateen may be made from silk, wool, nylon, polyester, or any other fabric that would produce the type of lustrous fabric required.

Sateen has been a popular fabric since the early 1900s. Being made of cotton, it is much cheaper than silk satin, and is also more durable, as well as being machine washable. In the early 20th century, sateen was often used for women's undergarments because of its durability and smooth feel.

Sateen sheets have become popular as people want more luxurious fabrics in their homes and have found that sheets with a higher thread count are more durable. They are more expensive, however, and a set of 400 thread-count sateen sheets for a queen size bed can run anywhere from $80 US Dollars (USD) to well over $100 USD.

Shoppers who like crisp, ironed sheets should probably look for percale in stores. Percale sheets are more like a traditional cotton fabric and some prefer their crisper feel. They are also less expensive than sateen, in general.

Sateen is a useful, durable fabric that will probably continue to be popular in the textile industry.