About Linen
Linen comes from the flax plant and is often mixed with cotton to provide a cheaper
alternative to pure linen.
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Common Linen Fabrics
Pure linen, linen and cotton mix, linen and silk mix.
Recommended Uses
Linen is used for shirts, dresses, trousers and skirts. Garment design is usually very simple
and loose fitting, as there is no stretch to a linen fabric. Household linen, tarpaulins, tents
and curtaining are also popular.
Properties
Linen is ‘hard’, stiff and crisp to touch, and can also sometimes have a soft lustre (shine).
Flax is one of the strongest natural fibres, especially when it’s wet. Like cotton, it has very
little stretch and will go “baggy” over a long period of time (at the knees for example). It
wrinkles easily and has little drape. Wrinkling is part of linens character!
Linen has good durability, and is less likely to shrink than cotton, but it can shrink when it’s
first laundered. Like cotton, it absorbs moisture well and is very comfortable in hot
climates; drying very quickly and keeping you cool (a good conductor of heat).
Care
Wash in any temperature and line dry when the garment is wet to save excess ironing. Use
a hot iron with steam. Linen can be dyed, bleached (with care) and dry-cleaned.