What Is A Pillow Sham Actually Used For?

I recently invested all new bedding. Silly me, when the comforter set I bought came with “pillow covers,” I assumed that meant that the pillowcases for my new bed were taken care of. This earned me quite a bit of ridicule when I absentmindedly complained to someone that my pillowcases were not soft or comfortable. I revealed I had been using the ones that came with the comforter set, and I was promptly told that those “pillow covers” are not pillowcases at all but actually “pillow shams.”

Pillow shams, as it says plainly in the name, are a sham. When I asked several women if they were familiar with this concept, they all said the same thing: “Yes, a pillow sham covers a pillow, and importantly you are not supposed to rest your head on it.” I was incredulous. They could not be serious! A covering for a pillow that was designed not to have a head rest on it? Eventually, I was told that you could either not sleep on those pillows or, alternatively, take off the shams and put the real pillowcases on each night before bed. The objective of a pillow sham is to match the comforter and therefore make the pillow look good throughout the day.

Bare Home Comforter Set – Queen Size — $42.99

This is patently absurd. I make my bed every morning, but the idea that a bed should be dressed up with different linens during the daytime is a bridge too far. Disgusted with this dirty trick, I threw my pillow shams aside and bought actual pillowcases. I didn’t expect to give the phony pillow covering another thought.

I was wrong. Working from home every day, I experience a constant battle with the ticking of my wall clock. Many have suggested I take it down, but I like it because it helps me tell the time, especially when, for whatever reason, I am up and about as opposed to staring at my computer screen. Still, the ticking can be really distracting, and I usually have to put on music to drown it out and concentrate. One day, I was fed up, and I looked around my apartment for something to throw on top of it. That’s when I came across the unused pillow sham. Voila!

I discovered a way to make the pillow sham serve a legitimate function in my life.