Linen and I have only recently become good friends. In my early years as a textile novice, I didn’t understand its appeal. It seemed to wrinkle just by looking at it, bestowing upon the wearer what I once interpreted as an air of permanent dishevelment.
It wasn’t until I experienced the sweltering heat of the South of France and began researching sustainable textiles that the flax-derived fabric started to win me over. At ninety-five degrees, without a cloud in the sky, a breezy linen shirt becomes less of a choice and more of a necessity. Linen effortlessly accomplishes something nigh on impossible: keeping the wearer looking both put together and comfortable in the dog days of summer.
While less ubiquitous in today’s cotton-dominated fashion world, linen has been a staple of warm-weather dressing for millennia. Two thousand years ago, Cleopatra VII would have worn the finest linen available (so finely woven it was described as “woven air”) as she entertained Mark Antony while traveling up the Nile on her royal barge with her massive entourage in tow. The brilliant queen and formidable strategist used her the textile to convince not one but two Roman leaders of the wealth and abundance of Egypt.
Linen’s role in history extends well beyond royal spectacle. It was used as a form of currency, paid out in bolts of cloth to Egyptian workers. And centuries earlier, soldiers under Alexander the Great wore layered linen armor known as linothorax. Lightweight and breathable, modern testing suggests it was also effective at defending the wearer against sharp arrows and blades.
Today, linen typically comes from Northern Europe, where the temperate climate appeals to the cool-weather loving flax plant. It has also been combined with other natural fibers to expand its versatility. When blended with other fibers like silk, cotton, or wool, linen retains its breathability and structure, while gaining softness, ease or drape respectively.
As it has for centuries, high quality, finely spun linen gets better with age. As the fibers are washed and worn, they become softer and loosen to create the beautiful, lived-in vibe I aspire to during the hot summer months. Not only will your linen pants keep you comfortable in the summer, according to Alexander OG, they may also keep you safe from sharp objects (results, of course, may vary).
Plant-based, sustainable, worn by queens, allegedly effective against weapons - what more could we ask for?
Non-iron? You have me there. Linen does require you to regularly warm up your iron unless you can pull off that crumpled, half-buttoned, je-ne-sais-quoi. If so, congratulations. I admire your style and hope your coffee is always just slightly the wrong temperature.
If you are like me and do not mind spending a little extra time on ironing in exchange for wearing a truly special fabric, it is well worth the investment.
Here are a few tips I have learned to ensure you get the most out of your linen investment:
- Check the finishes.
Like every good quality garment, the finishing is everything and linen proves the rule. Look for French seams or bound seams in shorts and shirts. This type of finish used to be table stakes, but is now found in only higher-end clothing. Binding the seams increases the longevity of the item and ensures stitches don’t scratch the skin.
- Know your linings.
It has become harder to find lined linen garments, and I have seen them less in the mid-tier to lower-tier brands, most likely due to cost of production. However, a lined linen trouser, where the lining is another breathable natural fiber like cotton, will be the most comfortable pants in your wardrobe. When linings are done well, they improve the drape and reduce transparency, especially under white linen. When they are done poorly and use synthetics, they will block linen’s biggest asset which is its ability to allow airflow in hot weather.
- White linen can be dodgy, so shop carefully.
If you’re buying a white linen pair of pants, ensure they are at least half, if not fully lined, as even mid-tier to good quality white linen can be more transparent than you might expect. I have found the product photos online will falsely increase the opacity of the fabric to get me to buy. Even with a lining, avoid dark underwear with white linen unless you want the next summer BBQ to include a surprise peep show.
- Price is a general measure, not a rule.
While more expensive linen tends to be higher quality, it is not always a guarantee. Check where the linen is from, as the best linen comes out of Ireland, France, Belgium and Italy. The weight of the linen should be substantial. Thin, flimsy linen lets you know it is cheap. Airy is not flimsy. Airy linen can still hold shape and may even be higher quality than the heavier linen. Flimsy linen outs itself when it starts losing shape before you even put it on. The goal is effortless, not sloppy.
- Check the composition carefully.
Because of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), when you search for “linen shorts”, Google will serve up every pair of shorts with even a nominal amount of linen in it. Be sure you are not falling for a 5% linen, 95% polyester blend that leads to a sweaty, uncomfortable summer outfit. Not all blends are bad, but they behave differently than real linen. While linen and silk and linen and cotton blends can be lovely and very high quality, stay away from blends with synthetic fibers, as the addition of a man-made fiber will remove all the timeless benefits of linen: breathability, longevity, and drape. We’re looking for 100% linen whenever possible. Those are the true investment pieces you’ll love for years to come.
So, what do you think? Are you running out to buy a closet-full of linen? I may have just ordered two new linen trousers for “research purposes”… I’ll be sure to let you how they turn out :)
Stay cool until next time,
Elise
