Virginia designer Lauren Liss posted a photo on Instagram of the farm table she prepared for a family dinner. It includes purple clematis from her garden, antique plexiglass and brass candle holders, an antipasto platter and a roll of Viva paper towels.
The lie reflects a growing trend that has fashion experts and paper manufacturers shaking their heads: Many consumers, especially younger ones, are no longer buying napkins. More and more people are using paper towels at the dinner table.
In a February survey, only 56% of consumers said they had purchased tissues in the past six months, while 86% had purchased paper towels. A survey by market intelligence agency Mintel shows that cost-conscious consumers believe that napkins can be replaced by other products, be it paper towels or cloth.
Liss, 33, said she was criticized for being unenvironmentally friendly after her post. So while she sometimes uses cloth napkins, she decided it was time to update her family table setting. She bought dozens of linen-colored napkins and now uses them almost exclusively. There’s no ironing required—she just takes them out of the washing machine, lays them out to dry, and folds them for a casual look. She keeps them in a drawer, and one of her older children (she has four children, ages 10 months to 8 years) uses them every night to set the table. “When you graduate from college, it makes sense not to think about buying tissues at the store. But of course, you always need paper towels,” Liss said.
Cloth napkins remained a staple in American households until the 1950s, when paper napkins that did not need to be washed or ironed became popular. “It’s mostly about convenience,” said Dan Nirenberg, director of napkin marketing for Georgia-Pacific, which makes the Vanity Fair and Mardi Gras brands as well as private-label napkins for major retailers. “Paper was an affordable luxury back then, and using disposable napkins saved time.”
Many families began using paper and regularly purchased packages of tissues at the grocery store. Of course, cloth napkins are still used to serve guests or set the table during the holidays. Designer napkins are also coming into fashion. Even today, some hosts and hostesses are adamantly against serving napkins to guests at the dinner table.
“I’ve never used napkins in my life,” says Connecticut designer Suzanne Salk, author of the new book Little Things: Create Big Moments at Home with Stylish Little Things. “There is nothing positive about them. It’s convenient, but it’s kind of sad to see napkins on the table.” For home use, she says you don’t have to get fancy; you can buy a dozen pretty napkins at HomeGoods and they don’t require ironing. “When you get together for a meal, whether it’s a milk cookie snack or Thanksgiving dinner, it should look beautiful. But that doesn’t have to mean preciousness and sophistication.”
Martha Stewart recently told me, “Don’t use paper. I’m totally against paper unless you’re eating bagels for breakfast on the run. I use cloth napkins or a good old ironed kitchen towel. I also collect a lot of lovely linens. “
Some millennials don’t use napkins at all. “I think napkins are something of a killer of the casual entertaining trend,” Nancy Mitchell, a senior writer at Apartment Therapy, wrote in an email. “Dinner parties are much less common than they used to be, and when people have them, they focus more on the food itself rather than setting the table. So even truly environmentally conscious people end up buying tissues (or using paper towels). ) ), because people don’t have napkins anymore.”
The use of napkins has been declining for 20 years. According to Georgia-Pacific, 15 years ago 6 in 10 households regularly purchased tissues; today that number is just over 4 in 10; One of the main reasons, according to Nirenberg, is that millennials are looking to simplify their lives by using paper towels for a variety of purposes, and napkins were left off the list because it’s “one less thing to do.” purchase. “
“Millennials are eating more on the go, eating out more and eating at the table less,” he said. If they eat at the kitchen island, they usually have rolls of paper towels available.
“We’re trying to figure out how to design a napkin holder that appeals to the younger generation,” he said. “If you put them on a stand, you have a better chance of catching them.”
Mariella Cruzado, 35, a designer and stylist at DC Splendor Styling, says she often sees friends reaching for paper towels when they need them. “I know that for some people, fabric may be too elegant for everyday use, but personally, I always use fabric napkins and napkin rings,” says Cruzado, who grew up in Peru with the same tradition. “Sometimes my husband watches football with his friends and they order pizza and hot wings. Of course they take out napkins.”
Post time: Jun-04-2024