Design Daily: Summer Swim-cessories from the Turkish Towel Collection
Author:Sarah Virginia WhitePart of the joy of living in California is waking up to a hot day and deciding, on the spot, that I need to head to the nearest swimming hole. For those days, whether they take me to a sleepy oxbow in wine country’s Russian River or a broad swath of SoCal coastline, I’ve discovered the perfect towels, from Istanbul expat Selin Aykiran, owner of Turkish Towel Collection in Berkeley.
These towels, made from organic linen, silk, or Bergama cotton harvested from the Aegean Sea Valley, will elevate your next seaside getaway with bright colors and impeccable, centuries-old construction. Aykiran, who has a background in fashion design from his years in Italy building high-end denim companies, built his own textile factory in Bursa, Turkey, and employs a team of weavers to hand-loom each towel. They employ methods that have been native to the area for 400 years, including weaving long, double loops into the thick bath sheets to boost absorbency.
For short day trips, I love the traditional peshtemal towels. They’re thin and quick-drying, and made from tightly woven cotton or silk to absorb as much water as possible. From their slim profile (about as big as a large dish towel when rolled up), you’d never expect them to do the trick after a thorough dunking, but I can vouch that they’ll get you dry, including your long, waterlogged tresses. They’re ideal for those summer days when all you want is a carefree day on the road and in the water—no bulky bag required; Turkish Towel Collection, 1717 C 4th St., Berkeley.
Traditional cotton peshtemal towel in Pink and Orange, $125, and Bonini Stripe cotton bath towel in Fume and Ivory, $150.
Dots cotton towel in Lime, Ivory and Green, $150, and Delmar bath sheet in Multicolour, $175.
