Environmentalist Paul Hawken, asked to comment on the “new green consumer” by the Washington Post said, “The phrase itself is an oxymoron.” I suppose that makes “green” luxury goods even more of an oxymoron.

However … we all want us some luxury, sometimes. The way I get around the inherent lack of sustainability in Americans’ conspicuous consumption (including mine) is by trying to hold out until I absolutely need to replace something. And then, when I do replace things, I try to buy “green” products so I can feel better about buying something (that I honestly feel I need)—and I try to buy the best quality (that I can afford) on the market (because I want it). This admittedly self-serving technique works best with the items that we take for granted around the house and rarely replace: sheets, towels, and furniture.

Absorbency, fabric feel (or “hand”), appearance, and durability are the qualities to look for in towels. I also prefer natural materials. I took a new “luxury” towel for a test drive: MicroCotton, the brand used at Las Vegas’s upscale Bellagio hotel. MicroCotton towels are 100 percent cotton. The company has trademarked its unique cotton yarn, developed and made in India using exceptionally long staple fibers from a very high grade of cotton that is virtually identical to “Sea Island Cotton.” According to the company, the yarn is the result of over two years’ research and development in pursuit of fabricating a truly superior, high-performance cotton terry towel.

Absorbency and Hand
The towel is fine, soft, and light. It is very absorbent (the company claims their towels are three times more absorbent than the average towel); my towel didn’t feel wet after use and air-dried almost immediately. New towels tend to leave bits and pieces of fabric all over one’s body during (at least) the first few times they are used. Not so with this one.

Appearance
I’m a designer and a visual critic, so I’m a sucker for good-looking home items. If something looks luxurious and rich, it make me feel luxurious and rich. My towel looks beautiful, I must say. Microcotton towels are available in a wide range of colors that change seasonally. Currently there are twenty available; I’m partial to the darker tones, which have a density and saturation I don’t often see in towels.