These were a replacement for our 15 year-old set of Wamsutta sheets which finally had a tear in the fitted sheet. They got softer wash after wash and we loved them. The new ones are even better as the fitted sheet has elastic on the larger corner pockets (on the corner seams) in addition to robust elastic band all the way around. This allows them to fit the taller mattresses used today. The sheets are soft right after the first wash/dry and I know they will continue to get softer over time. I highly recommend these sheets. They last a very long time and are of the highest quality. I'm glad I was able to find them.