Color - Shmolor. It's never made a difference to me. I go by the texture and feel of the fabric.
Here's a hint. Go to the local GoodWill/AmVets/Red White & Blue or other thrift store and look through the bedding for flannel sheets and through the curtains/drapes for fabrics that feel right. It's a lot cheaper than buying new. You can get an awful lot of cleaning patches from a large cotton table cloth. And the good thing is, all of that stuff has been washed a number of times and is soft and absorbant.