Why Choose Linen?

The world is full of wonderful natural products, and we are more inclined to go organic and green these days. As consumers we are more in tune with our responsibility to the environment, and with plenty of options to choose from it no longer costs a lot of money to be eco-friendly. People talk a lot about cotton as a sustainable fabric, but we’re here to extol the virtues of an even better option, this being linen. What is special about linen, and why are we suggesting it as the alternative to other material?

First, linen is a hollow fiber, and as such provides some interesting properties. One of these is the way it insulates. Linen can keep you warm when the weather is cold and can also help keep you cool when it is warm. This is why linen sheets are popular on beds. There is a further benefit of linen for use on beds and that is that it can absorb a great deal of its weight in moisture – 20% in fact – before it begins to feel wet, making it ideal for those hot clammy nights!

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It’s not just these properties, however, for linen is also comfortable, soft and durable, making linen clothing a viable choice for both men and women. The lightweight linen suit is a perfect choice for men who want that smart-casual summer look, for example.

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Let’s have a look at natural linen, what it is and where it comes from.

What is Linen?

As with many of the favored and popular fabrics for clothing and bedding, pure linen is a natural fabric made from fibers of the flax plant.

This easy to grow and widely harvested plant is used to produce linen worldwide, and while once a very expensive product linen décor, clothing and bedding has come down to sensible prices. Strong and absorbent, it also dries faster than the equivalent cotton. However, linen is also known for its propensity to wrinkle, which can either be treated as a feature or means more maintenance for the user!

A sustainable fabric, it should be noted that linen is more difficult to weave than – for example – cotton, and while prices have come down you may find it is still more expensive to buy linen sheets than it is to buy cotton or nylon. There is no comparison when it comes to comfort, as the soft and natural feel of linen will never fade if it is kept well and regularly washed.

Linen is usually seen in a natural color – a beige or cream look that is both cool and stylish for clothes or for other uses – as this is attractive to begin with, but can be dyed and presented in any color. There is still a sense of luxury in linen and, furthermore, many people claim it enhances their feeling of comfort when next to the skin.

Why is linen good for you? It’s soft, beautiful, long-lasting, soothing and natural, and it keeps you warm or cool and dry when needed. It doesn’t get much better than that!