Linen has been man's faithful companion long before Instagram trends and air conditioning. Linen has been used for thousands of years and appreciated for its unique, natural properties. In this article, we've put together an overview of why linen, the gift that keeps on giving, is an immortal style icon and not just a seasonal internet trend.
First of all, linen clothes are temperature-regulating. Temperature regulating is a fancy word, with some equally fancy technical explanations for the phrase. But to cut to the chase, this means that linen is ideal for the hot summer months. The fabric feels incredibly light against the skin while maintaining the recognizable structure and durabillity. Next, linen is very breathable. This is because the fibers linen consists of, in contrast to the widely used plastic-based fabrics, are hollow and rough. The airy and light feeling linen has against the skin is also due to the way linen clothes are usually woven, allowing air to draw through the weave. Besides allowing air to penetrate the fabric and having an extremely comfortable feeling, even in the most humid and hot conditions, linen is also preferred as it receives and handles moisture exceptionally well. This means you can walk around in your linen shirt on a sunny day, without having to worry about embarrassing stains or an uncomfortably sloppy and clingy feeling.
Now that you know why linen is good for you, your body and your well-being in hot weather, we allow ourselves to direct your attention to why it is also good for everyone else. Linen generally has a relatively low environmental footprint compared to the production of other textiles. This is, for example, because it requires far fewer pesticides to cultivate than many other types of fabric, such as cotton.
Last but not least, Linen possesses properties that combine the fabric's value for the individual as well as for society. The material is extremely durable, and although the material's relatively wrinkled appearance after washing is ultimately a matter of taste, the fabric takes on a life of its own after it has been washed a few times, giving each individual piece of linen clothing a completely unique look. This means that linen embraces the more casual look, that is created by the characteristic structure it gets after washing, which can save a bit on the electricity bill in connection with ironing. Furthermore, the actual material extracted from the flax crop is by no means the only benefit society can get from this amazing plant. Cultivating the flax plant leaves behind a number of by-products that can be used in, for example, linseed oil, which gives linen additional points on the responsibility chart.
