Linen, what’s it all about?

 Linen used to be the fabric of choice for your retired grandpa’s summer holiday wardrobe. You know, the one who was trying a little too hard to be ‘laid back.’

Now it’s the go to fabric for ease and luxury- linen bed sheets, towels, clothes linen, linen, linen.

What’s up with that? Why linen, why now? Well, what can we say? We can’t pinpoint the exact moment linen turned into a household and wardrobe necessity… Perhaps the recent call back to natural fabrics, an appreciation for longstanding traditional techniques or simply the cyclical nature of popularity.

We do know linen has been around a long time (we’re talking Egyptian long time) and it isn’t going anywhere any time soon. So let’s talk linen. We’ll hit you with some pros and cons for your assessing pleasure.

Aaa yes, the glory and power of the flax plant.

Linen Pros:

• It’s durable. Linen lasts a long time. Just ask your grandpa how long he’s had that cream colored boxy linen button up. Grandpas are the original anti-fast fashioners. Kudos grandpas. Linen is stronger than cotton and it gets better with each wash. We’ll say it again- it actually gets better with time. For real.
• It’s breathable. There’s a reason linen-wearing grandpas always look cool and collected while we’re running around dishevelled and sweating in some rayon mix. Linen is light and loosely woven, it absorbs moisture and dries fast.
• It’s versatile. These days linen is widely accepted as a luxury fabric and it can be dressed up or down. You see it on the runways, you see it at the beach, you see it at weddings. And on your grandpa of course.
• It’s sustainable. Linen is made from the flax plant. It uses far less water than cotton and it’s biodegradable. Though your linen shouldn’t have cause to be thrown into the compost, the option is there.

The list does go on, and it certainly goes into more detail, but that’s the long and short of it.

Linen Cons:

• It wrinkles. Grandpas are the masters of unwrinkled linen- due to a lifetime of ironing practice? A retired, leisured life? Their linen has had time to age and soften? We don’t know. We just know linen can be difficult to keep wrinkle free. This is why many opt for a linen cotton mix.
• It’s seasonal. Though linen has seemingly breached the fashion timeline, it does have its limits. It’s still seen as a warm weather garment and thou shalt not commit a fashion faux pas. Keep it for the summer folks. Good news for now we still have a little summer left in us.

In the end, we simply must conclude, grandpas saw it coming. They’re just that cool. So, next time your seemingly trend-less elderly neighbour, grandparent etc sits your down to explain how they do something. Listen up.

Cheers for always being yourselves, grandpas.

Suits by HT&T Team