Hide your LINENS young lady! The term “linens” derived traditionally as a name referring to light undergarments, shirts, and lingerie. Linen used to be the exclusive fabric choice for shirt collars and cuffs but nowadays it is used for a wide variety of things such as drapery, tablecloths, pants, and bedding.

 Linen comes from the flax plant it is very labor-intensive to manufacture. The flax fibers vary in length from about 25 to 150cm. These fibers can usually be spotted by their main identifier which is the “nodes”, they add to the texture and flexibility of the fabric. Some of the characteristics of linen are that it is a good conductor of heat, it’s lightweight fabric feels cool to the touch, highly absorbent, and 2-3 times stronger than cotton. Linen also has a long “staple” in comparison to the other natural fibers such as cotton. Due to it being a more expensive fiber it is produced in smaller quantities. This fabric has a natural high luster in colors ranging from ivory to brown and a texture that  can vary widely from stiff and rough to soft and smooth. Although linen is very absorbent, it also has the capability to loose water rapidly so it feels clean and dry quicker. Interestingly, Linen is one of the few fabrics that is actually stronger when it is wet.  Nevertheless linen does has it shortcomings. Linen has poor elasticity which causes it to not be able to spring back which in return makes it very wrinkle prone.

Linen has withstood the test of times from the Egyptian mummy wraps to the high paced fashion of today and of course the many uses in home furnishings. There aren’t many fibers that can actually gain strength from our sweat so kudos to linen. This natural fiber can be used for such a wide range of textile goods and that is why we love it.