Linen | Tips How To Wear This Natural Fabric

Hope you are well and enjoying all the beauty Spring gives us. New flowers are opening, displaying their gorgeous array of shapes and colours. Love this time of the year 🌺.

Pure linen is a great natural fabric, made from fibres that grow inside the stem of a flax plant, one of the oldest cultivated plants in human history.

Linen is pleasant to wear on the skin, giving you coolness in hot weather, dries quickly and protects your skin from the sun. Linen is also known to be anti-allergenic, durable and eco friendly.  

In my recent searches for clients, I have noticed so many great options, so here are some thoughts on how you can wear linen.

CHECK THE SHAPE

Just like with any other material, pick the right shape that you enjoy wearing. Linen is a great fabric that mixes well with other fabrics. For example, a linen pant looks great with a cotton top, etc.

Many clothes that are a blend with linen which will also make the item sit and wear differently to pure linen.

Assess the line and design items to any piece of clothing, so check out hemlines, neckline, pockets, etc. and see how they match up to your favourite fits, suited to your body shape. 

Currently, there are some gorgeous flowy linen shapes around but also some tailored pants, jackets, tops and skirts. The choice is yours. Vibrant colours or more earthy tones.

 

LINEN STIFFNESS AND CREASES

As I was creating this newsletter for you, I asked a few members of the Style Forum and some comments were “it is too stiff for me” and the second one was “it crinkles”.

So I researched a little bit on how you can soften linen. As the fabric softens, it also softens the creases.

Washing your linen and using the guidelines below will help with the stiffness. Your linen clothing may have been pre-starched which the wash cycle will soften.

Fabric softener is not necessarily going to give the softness you are looking for. Try adding some baking soda or vinegar to the wash instead to break down the fibres.

If stiffness continues then you could add some towels to the wash cycle to increase friction.

Follow the drying instructions on the care instructions and the drying tips below.

So while cotton tends to get stiffer over time, linen just gets smoother and shinier with every wash.

 

 

HOW TO WASH LINEN Just like any other material, always check the care instructions on the label. Only a month ago, I did not follow this exact advice myself. I gave my winter wools a nice wash before summer hit… that ended with 2 of the jumpers shrinking to a baby size 000… Now, I will check each label individually before washing anything. I lived and I learnt 👍. Here are a few general washing instructions that will help to keep your linens in great condition: Separate the colours so the lights keep their true colour. Always best to wash each item separately when you first get it as they can leave a lint residue. Check the label for washing temperatures. Because linen is a natural fibre, it soaks up a lot of water which can cause heavy creasing during the wash. If you give your linens plenty of room in the washing machine to tumble this should reduce the creasing. If you get a stain on your linen clothes, try and treat it with water and mild detergent before it dries up. HOW TO DRY LINEN Remove your linens as soon as the wash cycle is done. Dry the items straight away on the line, a hanger or flat on a drying rack. Ironing your linen when the material is still a little damp will make the job easier. Putting your linen in the dryer may lead to shrinkage. And when you see the amount of lint collected in the dryer after, it will also decrease the time you get to wear the items. Your clothes may have been pre-shrunk by the manufacturer so always check the label. Here is the Pinterest board with linen looks I have spotted ❤️. https://www.pinterest.com.au/styleangel3/linen/

 

Let me know if you would like some help finding great looks for Spring/Summer. Have a lovely rest of the week.