Global Style | Foutas & Hammam Accessories

Standard terrycloth towels seem like the ultimate in beachside comfort; dozing off on one feels as if you?re sleeping on a firm mattress rather than an uneven bed of sand. But once fall eases in, these pieces are relegated to your storage cabinet until the first hint of summer the following year. Enter the fouta.

Standard terrycloth towels seem like the ultimate in beachside comfort; dozing off on one feels as if you?re sleeping on a firm mattress rather than an uneven bed of sand.  But once fall eases in, these pieces are relegated to your storage cabinet until the first hint of summer the following year.  Enter the fouta. 

 

 

A lightweight piece of fringed cloth pioneered by the ancient Turks, acting as a beach towel is merely one of its many functions; it?s commonly worn as a scarf or sarong or used as a bedspread, picnic blanket, or table runner.  Often accented with complementary stripes, foutas are a fashion-forward fusion of Turkish tradition and unmatched versatility.  Quality isn?t sacrificed for the sake of its many uses, however; foutas are just as absorbent as their terrycloth counterparts.

 

The Spa at Glenmere Mansion in Chester, New York

 

La Mamounia, Marrakech

 

?emberlitas Bath in Istanbul

Recently featured in T Magazine, foutas are gaining traction as a chic?and multipurpose?alternative to the ubiquitous beach towel.  Here are L-ATITUDE?s top three fouta picks:

 

Grand Bazaar Towels and Hammam Bowl

 

Grand Bazaar Double Stripe Beach Towel, $45

Play up the fouta?s fringed edges and team it with an armful of bangles and a flowy blouse for a complete boho-meets-city look.

 

 

Grand Bazaar Lime Sarong & Beach Towel, $30

The piece?s color-pop lime hue is the perfect sarong for a similarly bold suit.

 

 

Grand Bazaar Orange Stripe Beach Towel, $45

Instantly brighten your kitchen by swapping your solid tablecloth for this vibrantly striped fouta.