Warm Baths and Downy Beds

You can probably surmise from the title that I am thinking about the cold weather, which has traveled to my area. It seems unlikely that anyone would disagree that "warm baths and downy beds" are the best antidote to cold weather, especially the downy beds.

Yet someone has. Yes. The Wall Street Journal ran a column in which their style editor urged us to get rid of the down comforters and re-learn hospital corners and tightly made up beds. Why is the writer against down? Because it looks "messy" and because it's "hot." Commenters rightly pointed out that if you are hot under your comforter, turn down the heat and save the planet (a little). As for "messy"--who's coming in your bedroom to inspect it anyway?

My mother was born in Vienna and so I brought down comforters into my marriage. The acrylic blankets and foam pillows of Mr. FS's childhood were no match for the cozy comforters and feather pillows of mine.

In the 60s or 70s, down comforters were brought to US consciousness by--I think--Terence Conran, who brought style to the masses. I remember seeing ads titled "the 30 second bed" showing that you could shake your comforter and lay it on the bed. Who cares if it's lumpy?

I notice that the controversial article on down was published in early January. I hope people weren't too quick to donate their down comforters before the cold winds blew in.

While I haven't weighed in on the ridiculous "Tiger Mother" "controversy" (engineered by the media, no?), I feel that the down comforter controversy is too important. So I have spoken out.

By the way, the title of the post comes from a translation of Homer's Odyssey. Alcinous, ruler of Scheria, kind of an earthly paradise where Odysseus washes up, says this:

we set great store by feasting, harpers, and the grace of dancing choirs, changes of dress, warm baths and downy beds

Are you a down lover? How are you keeping warm?