What are the precautions for a four-piece set?

　　What are the precautions for a four-piece set?

　　One press

　　Unzip the four-piece down jacket and let it return to its natural shape for three minutes. Then press down on the quilt with your hand and release—does it quickly spring back to its original form? The faster it rebounds, the better the down quality. If there’s no elasticity at all, the filling is likely to be chicken feathers or other long, shredded feathers.

　　Second touch

　　Test the softness of the four-piece set by touch. There should be no overly thick or bulky areas, nor any visible feather quills. Only when the fabric feels soft and smooth can it be considered a genuine product. If the garment is excessively large or thick yet still feels soft to the touch but lacks elasticity, it is not a down jacket—it’s merely soft in texture. Even if the fabric feels soft, if it contains short, coarse feather shafts, the filling is likely to be broken-up down rather than high-quality down.

　　Three beats

　　Pound the four-piece quilt vigorously to see if any dust flies out; the less dust that comes loose, the better.

　　Friction all around

　　Rub the four-piece quilt set with both hands to check for any cotton fibers poking through. If you find any, it means the fabric is counterfeit and you should not buy it.

　　Five Senses

　　If you hold your nose close to the down jacket and take several deep breaths, a good product will have no odor or only a faint, non-offensive smell; if there is a strong, unpleasant odor, the item should not be used.

　　Six Presses

　　Weigh the down comforter in your hand to gauge its bulk; the lighter it is and the larger its volume, the better. Originally, bedding was made from naturally occurring materials such as grass, tree bark, cotton, and wool.

　　According to historical records, European bedding first emerged in the 15th century as a handcrafted product, predominantly in white, and was regarded as a work of art—accessible only to a small elite. By the 18th century, Russian-style bedding had made its way onto the scene, ushering in an era when bedding became an integral part of children’s bedrooms. At that time, since all bedding was still crafted by hand, techniques such as lace-making, embroidery, and painting demanded considerable time and effort, ensuring that each set was truly one-of-a-kind.

　　Back then, Russian bedding was long associated with whiteness and technological constraints; pure white was regarded as the timeless classic of the era. It was a national tradition for newlyweds to receive bedding as a wedding gift, but unfortunately this custom faded during the Soviet period.

　　In the 16th century, the Netherlands introduced regulations governing bedding. Specifically, a bed was required to have three sheets, six pillowcases, and pillows of varying sizes. The rules stipulated that a hair mattress—typically made of hair—should be placed on the lower layer of the bed, with a sheet laid over it, and another sheet sewn beneath the quilt to serve as an integral part of the quilt itself. This is because the quilt as we know it today only emerged after World War II. From there, these regulations spread throughout the world.

　　After World War II, the number of bedding items decreased. Back then, a typical set consisted of just one bed, one sheet, one quilt, and one pillow. At the same time, in Europe, people began to favor printed bedspreads—no longer the costly batiste or damask-printed cotton and dyed fabrics. Instead, brightly saturated colors and increasingly popular Oriental motifs became all the rage for bed linens.