I purchased these dishes for everyday use and purchased selected pieces (husband and I are retired) as opposed to ordering a standard set. I inherited my grandmother's Franciscan Desert Rose set that I use for entertaining and also have Lenox Christmas china for the Holidays, but wanted a durable, plain-styled, modernish set for everyday use. I did a bit of research and found porcelain to be recommended over other materials for durability and non-chipping. We've had these for months and they're wonderful, just what I had hoped for. Being porcelain, they were a bit high on my budget but worth the extra money. They're dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe. We chose the beige color so any fading would be difficult to detect but I see absolutely none. Can't rave enough about these dishes.