Foutas for All - NYTimes.com Bright, slight and often striped, a fouta is a textile derivative of the traditional hammam towels of Turkey and North Africa. Standard styles are large enough for one person to lie down on at the beach, but since they're made most often of lightweight cotton and linen, they roll up tightly - perfect for tucking in a tote and taking with you. What's more, they're as absorbent as traditional terry-cloth towels, and they dry quickly, too. "People can't believe how absorbent foutas are," says Kym Canter, the creative director of the global market Web site L-Atitude, which sells options created specifically with beach-going in mind. "The U.S. mind-set is "the thicker the towel, the thirstier the towel," but that's not necessarily true." Julia Leach, the founder and creative director of the lifestyle brand Chance, stresses the fouta's versatility. "As much as I love a beach towel, a beach towel is a beach towel is a beach towel," Leach says. A fouta is also a sarong, a table runner, a picnic blanket or a bedspread. Here, T picked 10 that would make easy accompaniments to all of summer's fun.