Inaugural Show of the American Dishtowel Club: We Announce the Winner!

Fringed Display Towel

1950s Towel

Welcome back to the American Dishtowel Club Show! We are so pleased to have you with us, as fans and judges, at this final meeting where we have the pleasure of announcing the winner of “Best of Show.”

But first, to recap the action:

In the tightly-contested showdown among the finalists for Best of Breed, we saw the winners of three categories go head to head.

The winner of the Non-Working/Non-Sporting Group was the Fringed Display Towel, noted for its sheer physical perfection and breeding.

The winner of the Sporting Group was the 1950s Towel, with its exuberant style and sociability.

The winner of the Working Group was the Flour Sack Towel, appreciated for its willingness to work hard while never losing its charm.

Although the judges felt all of the towels exemplified conformation standards for their class, they also argued that one dishtowel breed stood above others and deserved the title “Best of Show.”

And the winner of the Inaugural Show of the American Dishtowel Club is:

The Flour Sack Towel! Let’s give them a huge round of applause!

The Flour Sack Towel was recognized for its appeal to owners and the extent to which it satisfied many needs. For instance, one judge pointed out that the towels are “cute, serviceable, AND repurposed,” alluding to the fact that many of these towels were originally bred from large sacks that held flour or animal feed.

Another judge, with affection for all the breeds in the finals, ultimately cast her vote for the flour sack towel because she had “fallen in love with its unbelievable ability to soak up water and leave articles dry and sparkly.”

Similarly, another judge spoke of the ways the flour sack towel accomplished what other towels in the show did not, “they soak up water (just what towels are supposed to do!) and are adorable at the same time.” These judges value the ability of a towel to the job of a towel.

Evidence strongly suggests that the judges were impressed with the fact that these towels were both practical and handmade. As one judge stated succinctly, “they look most likely to be the love children of loving hands at home.” The folky embroidery featured on many of these towels was a deciding factor for some judges.

The Flour Sack Towels earn the honor of “Best of Show” for their practicality, their hard-working style, their homey charm, and their exuberant personalities, which reflect the interests and abilities of their owners.

We, the organizers of this gathering of exceptional dishtowels, thank the judges for their commitment to the process and to the selection of the best of the best.

All of the towels that participated are winners, providing evidence that there are no bad dishtowels and that dishtowels truly are a human’s best friend.