A brief history of the duvet

The duvet is today one of the most ubiquitous items of bedding. Simple, practical and perfect for a modern lifestyle in which many people don't have time to make the bed by arranging elaborate layers of sheets and blankets, the duvet has all but taken over in many UK homes. It wasn't really until the 1960s, however, that the duvet - or quilt as it was then known - really began to penetrate British homes and revolutionise the way we sleep.



The duvet is often considered a very European form of bedding so it is no surprise to discover that one of its first appearances in recorded history was in Westphalia in Germany in 1749. Thomas Nugent, an English travel writer on the Grand Tour noted with some confusion that the residents of Westphalia did not use blankets but instead appeared to cover the mattress with a second feather bed. This thin 'feather bed' was actually a duvet filled with the down feathers of ducks, known as excellent insulators of heat - and thousands like it were in use all over continental Europe at the time.

For much of the nineteenth century and much of the rest of the twentieth century, the UK remained strangely impervious to the charms of the duvet, while at the same time the quilt was spreading to other areas of Europe, including Scandinavia where thick and well-insulated duvets were the perfect way to guard against the cold of winter nights. While a few travellers and other eccentric Britons might return from their adventures in Europe converted to the continental way of sleeping, these were definitely the exception rather than the rule and most people continued to struggle with blankets, sheets and throws.



It was from Scandinavia that the duvet arrived in the 1960s when it was finally accepted by a British public much changed after the Second World War and the years of post-war austerity. For most families the days of having domestic servants to hand were long gone and ever-increasing demands on time made traditional British bedding more and more impractical. When a new wave of furniture and homeware retailers began to open in British cities in the mid-1960s, the duvet swiftly replaced the blanket in homes all over the country.



Today domestic life for many people is unthinkable without the duvet. It has become both an essential item of bedding and a source of comfort to many, if the millions who enjoy curling up on the couch with a duvet after work to relax are any indication. With a huge range of choices in size, materials, thickness and warmth, it is little wonder that the duvet can be adapted to suit all times of year and conditions.