(PRWEB) August 7, 2006 -- The back-to-school race is in high-gear, but before charging ahead with purchasing the items needed to equip your student’s dorm room, it pays to consider how those dollars can be best spent. Here’s a statistic from the National Retail Federation: In 2005, Americans spent more than $2.6 billion on back-to-school buying for dorms and apartments. According to the annual Back-to-School Survey conducted by Myvesta, a nonprofit consumer education organization, Americans are spending an average of $200 more this year on back-to-school expenses; 33 percent more will be spent on dorm room supplies than previous years. Naturally, these families are looking to get the most for their decorating dollars. Designing a successful on-campus home has become the first test of college life.

College students want their room to be a reflection of who they are, but at the same time it's a tiny space, so it’s best to start with essentials. The key to outfitting a dorm room centers on its largest piece of furniture: the bed, which in most dorms is an extra-long twin. A student's largest investment will likely be the comforter, sheets, pillows and a blanket. The bed also provides a great way to reflect the student’s individuality. Facing the transition from home to school will be a little easier on your student when they have the good-looking, durable and comfortable bedding that will remind them of home. Many college life advisors advocate the value to be obtained by investing in better linens that will make it through four years of school and beyond.

Elegant Linens offers hard-to-find bedding sizes and bedding for dorm rooms made to fit both the regular and the extra-long twin bed (http://www.elegantlinenspc.com/Hard-to-find-sizes.htm). The twin extra long fitted sheets measure at 39" x 80" to fit the extra long mattress common to college and university dormitory housing. They have extra-long twin bed sheets with gusset depths from 10 inches to 17 inches to ensure the proper fit. Go to http://www.elegantlinenspc.com/Extra-Long-Twin-Sheets.htm for more information on dorm sheet sizes. Elegant Linens also carries shallow-fitted sheets with an 11-inch gusset made to fit the platform or loft beds found in many off-campus furnished apartments. Durable and stylish 100% Egyptian cotton sheets and duvet covers will really make a difference in the look and feel of your child’s dorm bed – his haven, her home away from home. The investment in better quality sheets and bedding seems a wise decision when you stop to consider the advantage of buying the best, just once. Well-made bedding linens last longer and provide greater comfort at a time it will be most appreciated.

Don’t forget comforters and blankets when coordinating your dorm room bedding ensemble. A down duvet with reversible duvet cover will offer the greatest versatility in both looks and comfort, providing cozy warmth in cooler temperatures yet easily adjustable for varying climates. Elegant Linens carries a large variety of duvet covers in the vibrant colors and patterns popular with today’s college students. It’s a great way to brighten a small space and reflect individual style – and provide a welcoming, inspiring place in which to study and socialize. Down pillows will provide firm support for over-worked brains, and blankets and throws in 100% Egyptian cotton, Merino wool or Mongolian Cashmere will provide extra coziness and lightweight warmth for relaxing after mid-terms and finals.

It’s important to make a dorm room a reflection of a student’s unique style and the most comfortable place to live and work that it can be. Elegant Linens offers a variety of bedding choices tailor-made to customize a space with creativity and personal flair. And once the basics are taken care of, the fun begins. Visit the Elegant Linens website today at www.elegantlinenspc.com to check out all the ways they can help make college life the wonderful experience it’s meant to be.