The first one I owned was a thin polyester rectangle from a discount bin, white with a texture like a shower curtain, and it taught me that cheap tablecloths don't lie flat, they float an inch above the table and slide the second a dish touches them. Lesson learned early and often, because I bought it twice before I figured out it wasn't a fluke.
A good tablecloth belongs wherever a table sees real use, which is most tables. Rented apartments with a scratched secondhand table benefit from one more than anywhere, since it covers a multitude of sins for the price of a nice dinner out. They do real work in fall and winter, when the table becomes the center of everything and you want it dressed without repainting a wall or buying new chairs, and they're just as good in summer thrown over an outdoor table for something that isn't plastic.
Color wise, I'm not going to pretend I don't want you brave here, because a deep rust or a soft clay tone does more for a room than another round of white ever will, and it hides crumbs, wine, and the inevitable candle wax drip better too. That said, if you're not ready to commit, a warm cream or a pale stone shade is the easiest thing to live with, it goes under any plates you own and doesn't fight with a centerpiece. Linen or a linen blend in these colors looks expensive without being precious, and a slightly wrinkled one actually looks better than a stiff, ironed one, which is the best news I've ever delivered about laundry.
Here's where I'll be honest instead of enthusiastic. A tablecloth is the wrong choice on a table you actually like the look of, a nice wood grain or a marble top deserves to be seen sometimes, not permanently buried. It's also the wrong call for a daily breakfast table with toddlers or large dogs underfoot, because even the sturdiest cotton becomes a flag someone eventually pulls, and I've seen a full bowl of cereal go down with the tablecloth like it was the ship's captain. For those tables, placemats earn their keep and the cloth stays for the occasions that deserve it.
In a shop, pinch the fabric and pull gently on the diagonal, if it springs back without wrinkling into a permanent crease, it'll survive a wash cycle and a few dinners without looking tired by dessert. Rub a corner between your fingers too, anything that feels papery or plasticky now will feel worse after one trip through the dryer.
Measure your table's length and width, then add at least twelve inches on each side for a drape that actually looks dressed instead of barely covered.