What is a Pillow Sham?
A good place to start when talking about a standard vs euro sham, is to answer the question that some of you may be wondering and that is, ‘What is a pillow sham?”
A pillow sham is a decorative cover for a pillow that is used to make the pillows more visually appealing. Traditionally, in the U.S., pillow shams are used purely for decorative purposes, although some pillow shams are made from sheeting, allowing them to be used as an alternative to a pillow case if you prefer. Whether you’re using pillow shams for a decorative touch or to sleep on, the sham is a great choice to complete your bedding ensemble.
When pillow shams are used for bed decorations, they can make a huge design statement in your bedroom. This popular bedding element can be simple and come in solid colors that match your luxury bedding ensemble, or pillow shams can be decorated and embellished elaborately. Both standard shams and euro shams can be purchased as part of a luxury bedding set, or they can be purchased separately to mix and match with your decor.
The two basic types of pillow shams are the standard sham and the euro sham. Here are the main differences:
What is a Standard Sham? - A standard pillow sham is designed to cover standard American-size pillows, which are your typical regular size bed pillows that most people use on their beds. Standard shams fit rectangular-shaped pillows.
What is a Euro Sham? - A euro pillow sham is designed to cover European-size pillows, which differ from standard American styles. European pillows are square in shape, versus rectangle like the standard pillows, requiring a square-shaped sham for proper coverage.