Bed skirts are designed to hide a bed's box spring & reduce dust from accumulating under the bed. An additional benefit is that a bed ruffle allows you to use the space under the bed to store things out of sight but still be accessible. For home decor, dust ruffles offer a way to add style, pattern, & color to the bedroom. A bedskirt can be tailored with pleats, a flat panel gathered into ruffles, or combining several layers of coordinating fabrics. In planning to buy a bed skirt for your bed, there are several things to consider. Mattresses, box springs & foundations can vary slightly in size. Don’t simply guess that you need a queen bedskirt. Measure the width and length to get the right size of bed ruffle so that it will hang properly on your bed. The drop of the bed skirt refers to the measurement from the top of the foundation to the floor. A standard measurement for ready-made dust skirts is 14-15", but they do vary. If your "drop" measurement is 18", the standard bed skirt will not go all the way to the floor. If your "drop" measurement is 14" the bed skirt may drag on the floor. That said, you may desire a little space between the end of the dust ruffle & the floor in order to making vacuuming easier, or you might prefer a longer bed skirt extending outward from the edges of the bed for a decorator look. A solid color is a versatile choice for a bed skirt dust ruffle. If you select a light color such as white, pink, yellow, or other pastel, be sure that the bed skirt is lined or made of a heavy enough fabric so that light does not show through. Dust ruffles are often coordinated to the bed cover pattern in stripes, floral or other patterns. A bed skirt is a great place to use an interesting pattern, stripe, plaid, check, or texture. This can either complement or contrast with other fabrics in the room. A bed skirt made with heavy-textured or woven fabric will keep its shape and stand fresh for a number of years with only occasional laundering. Fabrics like chenille, velvet, faux suede, and matelasse work well, but keep in mind that these fabrics may attract pet hair. It makes no difference if your bed skirt is an exact match or simply coordinates the color. It is really a matter of taste.