Why Linen Should Be The New Cotton

Jun 10, 2018

2 min read

Linen is a beautiful fabric choice for all year round that dates back thousands of years. Recently I’ve seen it styled in many ways, from relaxed, summery looks to sleek, tailored separates for the cooler months. Here’s why this versatile and sustainable textile should be your go-to this season, and any time of the year.

Harper Palazzo Pants in Cinnamon $160 Photo by Giuseppe Santamaria @giuseppeinthistown

Why Linen is a Great Choice…

For You:

Linen is naturally a very comfortable fabric to wear at any time of year. It becomes softer with time and never feels clingy. Linen is a natural insulator, which means it will keep you cool in summer and warm in winter, much like wool. Wear soft, billowy linen blouses in the heat and layer up under a long linen dress and scarf when it’s cool to get the best of both worlds.

Luca Dress in Shiraz $225 Photo by Giuseppe Santamaria @giuseppeinthistown

Linen is moisture wicking which means it will absorb perspiration and quickly evaporate it, leaving you dry and fresh in Summer and when you’re rugged up under all those layers in Winter. Along with this, linen naturally prevents bacterial growth, saving you time washing clothes and keeping you and your family healthy.

For the Environment:

Linen is a natural, biodegradable fibre. It takes very few to no pesticides to grow, and can grow from poor soil without the use of fertilisers. The flax plant which linen comes from can often be grown on the natural rainfall alone, unlike cotton which needs to be fed around 7100L of water per kilogram of harvested cotton.

Otsuka Farm Flax Field Photo by T Konno

You can also compare the amount of water needed for the care of a garment once it’s in your hands. Take a cotton T-shirt which needs about 26L of water to wash over its lifespan. Because of the antibacterial properties mentioned earlier, a linen T-shirt can be washed much less and will only use about a quarter of this over the same amount of time.

Another great benefit of farming flax for textiles is that nothing is wasted. Flax seeds are used in the culinary industry and linseed oil is used for wood preservation and varnishes.

For Your Wardrobe:

Linen is naturally moth-resistant, meaning you can safely tuck away those summer blouses for a few months hassle free, knowing there aren’t going to be any nasty surprises next time summer rolls around.

Juniper Godet Skirt in Shiraz $240 Photo by Giuseppe Santamaria @giuseppeinthistown

Linen ages well, softening over time. A strong textile, linen garments have a life expectancy of about 30 years making linen pieces a great investment.

One More Thing…

It is important to note that linen might require extra time for steaming or ironing if you don’t like the naturally creased look linen tends to take on. My advice is to embrace the crinkle! ‘It’s a look.’

Will you be adding more linen to your wardrobe? Will you choose linen over cotton? Let me know in the comments!