For thousands of years, linen fabric has dominated the textile world, beginning with lower-class everyday clothing, particularly linen dress for the ladies’ undergarments, and progressing to the upper class, noblemen, priests, pharaohs, and royals from various civilisations, and cultures.
Linen has been in use and fashion since then, adapting to time, change, and innovation. So, let’s talk about the benefits of choosing linen and why it’s still one of the best fabric options!
1. Highly absorbent and breathable material
People enjoy wearing linen because it is highly absorbent and breathable, especially when the weather is hot and humid. Nonetheless, linen is just as ideal for layering in colder seasons and weather, such as frosty spring mornings, snowy winter days, and chilly autumn evenings.
Linen fabrics have been scientifically proven to be highly hygienic due to their molecular arrangement, allowing their hollow-shaped fibres to absorb up to 20% of their weight in moisture before any moisture or wetness resurfaces to be seen by the naked eye.
Notice how your linen shirts, flax aprons and pure linen dresses still look fresh and comfortable after a day of walking in the park or on the beach, or working around the home. This is because linen absorbs up to 1/5 of its total weight in sweat and moisture before you feel damp from perspiration.
In other words, because linen wicks moisture away quickly, your linen clothes will not feel as damp to the touch, and the fabric will soak up most of the unpleasant fragrance if there is any. Similarly, it allows your clothes to breathe, feel light, and be enjoyable to wear.
2. Temperature-controlling
By the end of the twentieth century, linen had made a comeback as the most popular clothing material choice for fashion designers, manufacturing or textile industries, and consumers’ tastes had shifted from cotton to linen. The temperature-controlling properties of linen allow it to compete with modern synthetic fabrics. This inherent and natural property of linen makes it a natural insulator as well as a natural ventilator.
Most people’s fashion tastes began to shift when they realised that other fabrics, such as cotton and wool, will keep you warm at first but will cause you to sweat more, causing sweat patches to appear noticeably. On the contrary, linen will maintain a comfortable temperature around your body, keeping you warm while wicking away excess humidity and heat for an airy and cosy feeling all day or night!
That is why it’s often said that linen is one of the best fabric materials to wear for all seasons, and why linen bedding is the best choice for getting the best sleep every night of the year.
3. Long-lasting
According to a published article, linen is one of the most robust natural fibres used in clothing textiles worldwide, ranking second only to silk, being clearly 30% stronger than cotton. The main element responsible for linen fabric’s ability to withstand the test of time is the strength of flax fibres threaded inside it. In reality, cotton clothing is only good for a season or about 5 years at most, whereas pure linen dresses and pants can last for more than a season and a decade.
In fact, with proper care and cleaning, your linen pieces could last for up to 30 years, or even your entire lifetime. That is why buying linen for a business, such as most five-star hotels and high-end restaurants, felt like a worthwhile investment in the long run, not only for its natural beauty in bringing out a classic elegance but also for its long-lasting lifespan.
Similarly, linen bedding and clothing will retain their shape and beauty even after multiple washing cycles, unlike other fabrics. Depending on the clothes, some linen pieces can even go in the dryer. Over time, linen becomes softer and softer against the skin.
4. Environmentally friendly
The growing global awareness of the negative effects of climate change inspires most of us to buy and select eco-friendly and sustainable products. Fortunately, linen is one of the greenest and most sustainable fabrics available! This starts with its source, the flax plant, which can grow in poor-quality conditions with less water and no fertiliser.
Because the process of growing and producing linen requires little water, it is more environmentally friendly and cost-effective than cotton production. Furthermore, all parts of the flax plant can be used to make various products such as oil or food—a prime example of zero-waste management in one life cycle.
It is also entirely and completely biodegradable as a finished linen product; it takes approximately two weeks for a linen women dress to biodegrade in soil, making it a certified big win for green solutions for our environment.
5. Versatile
Have you ever noticed that only your favourite linen dress or linen ensembles exude an effortless elegance that is appropriate for any occasion? Consider wearing a classic-cut dress to your favourite bar for the evening after a long day at the office.
No other clothing material can take you from day to night as elegantly and casually as linen! With this in mind, there is no doubt that this timeless fabric is an excellent choice for your next summer holiday, family gathering, office party, or brunch date.
