Back To Fabrics: All About LINEN
If I would tell you that there is a textile fabric that is durable, environmental and that gets better with use, would you believe me?
In this blog post, I go through the characteristics, benefits of including linen in your wardrobe. I will include some tips and tricks in taking care of your linen garments.
Linen is made from the stem of a flax plant. The reason you may not see linen more in stores is that the linen-making process is laborious and time-consuming. The process still requires manual labor. Linen is a luxury-textile, but it truly is worth the money. Alternatively, you can opt-out to purchase linen items secondhand or vintage.
Linen's benefits include:
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breathability: the best kind of fabric to have in your summer wardrobe
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absorbability: linen fabric can absorb almost 20 % of its weight in moisture before it gets wet
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durability: if you take care of it correctly, a linen item will last for decades to come
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fully biodegradable: it takes linen 2 weeks to compost. This is the case if the linen is colored with natural dyes
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hypoallergenic: a good choice for sensitive skin
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environmental choice: less water and chemicals are used in linen production than other textiles
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dries quickly
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static-free
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less pilling
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Additionally, linen gets softer and more pliable over time and use
I mean, doesn't this list make you want to join a linen fan club?
How to take care of linen garments?
Now that I have persuaded you to switch to a linen-full wardrobe, there are some specific things you can do to elongate the life of your linen garments:
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Machine wash
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wash with cold or warm water (not hot because linen has a tendency to shrink)
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use a short and delicate cycle
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wash with similar delicate fabrics (not heavy items like towels or jeans)
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even better: wash by hand from time to time
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use mild detergents
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Don't use a tumble dryer!
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air-dry linen clothes flat on a towel
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or padded hangers (so that you avoid dents in the fabric)
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you can place the dripping wet linen item into a towel and gently roll extra moisture out before setting the garment to dry
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Iron and steamer is your new best friend
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BEFORE: Linen is notorious for its crinkles. Even though I don't care about wrinkles, I like to quickly iron/steam my linen clothing before use
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tip: iron the item when it's still damp, use lots of steam and water sprinkled
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tip: iron always inside-out to ensure the iron doesn't fade the colors
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AFTER: Ironing or steaming the item after use can minimize any permanent color damage that some crinkles can produce in specific places (arm creases or knees)
EXTRA TIPS:
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lookout for linen items made in France, Belgium, and Italy. These places are considered to produce the most high-quality linen in the world.
Buying secondhand linen items has its advantages:
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Although the item has been worn before, the usage has most probably made the fabric softer than when you would buy it from the store.
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If the item has been cared for, vintage or secondhand linen garment will still last for years or decades to come.
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You can find some good quality linen items in Lessly's collection, shop here!
Did you know all this about linen? The biodegradability and durability facts blew me away. Let me know your thoughts by commenting below!