Kitchn Love Letters

The $45 Kitchen Upgrade That Makes Every Meal Feel Like a Special Occassion

Rochelle Bilow
Rochelle Bilow
Rochelle Bilow is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and the former social media manager at Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines. She has also worked as a cook on a small farm in Central New York and a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. Her first book, a…read more
published Oct 14, 2021
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Credit: Lauren Kolyn

When I was growing up, my family used paper napkins at dinner. We always had a big bag of them in the hall closet, which my mother would use to fill a little metal napkin holder. But as we got older and learned more about sustainability, we all ditched the paper. Over the last few years, everyone in my family made the switch to reusable cloth napkins, even though we all maintain separate households. 

It’s not a contest, but if it was, I would definitely win for the best cloth napkins in the family. After a few years of boring white cotton squares, some floral print napkins from Skordo caught my eye (note: the exact ones I have are currently sold out, but these are similar!). I knew I had to have them. Months later, they remain one of my most prized kitchen possessions. They’re more environmentally friendly than paper, but I mostly love them just because they’re gorgeous. They’re so pretty, they make every meal feel like a special occasion.

Now, as far as I’m concerned, Skordo, a Maine-based gift and specialty retailer, can do no wrong. I will buy pretty much anything from their online shop. (Lavender-infused sugar? I put it on my Corn Flakes every day for a month. Maple-infused black pepper? It’s my favorite condiment.)  

Credit: Rochelle Bilow

These napkins hit the mark when it comes to Skordo’s quaint, lovely aesthetic. The 15×20-inch napkins have a variety of wildflowers on them, and each napkin has differently colored flowers. I especially like that the colors are soft and gently muted; they have just the right amount of vintage charm. If you like the #cottagecore aesthetic, you will like these napkins a lot

Buttery soft and never scratchy, they’re made from a lightweight flour sack cotton, and printed with eco-friendly ink, which won’t run. Trust me: I’ve machine washed and dried mine dozens of times, and they still look great. They’re even iron-safe, although I’ll admit to being lazy and ironing my napkins a grand total of zero times. (Luckily, they also genuinely look nice with a slightly rumpled look!) Also, I will fully admit to doing a load of laundry just because I’m “out” of these napkins. A sentiment you’ll easily understand once you, too, get your hands on a set.

Do you have cloth napkins you love? Tell us about them in the comments!