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Tell me about Linen

Anonymous

I have only recently accepted the fact that I need to plan my wardrobe for my real-life climate. I have developed a fascination with linen.

I know linen wrinkles, but is it my imagination that some linens wrinkle less than others? With one exception, the linens I have examined in the store all seem so "fragile" to me. They seem like they would fall apart in a single season. They are that insubstantial and sheer!!!!!

Tell me how to shop for linen. What do I look for? Where do I shop for linen? All the stores I typically shop, including Nordstorm, seem to stock that fragile linen.

Shopping

26 replies

Latest reply was from Diana

DonnaF

Veteran

FWIW, I've found linen to be stronger than cotton. Some people's skin is more sensitive than others' and linen tends to soften after multiple washes, but I would look for linen that isn't too scratchy for your taste. I don't think linen takes dyes as well as other fabric, so either buy light colors or those that you don't mind fading a little.

Liz

Veteran

Are you looking at linen knits or wovens? The wovens are durable (I don't have experience with knits).

Some linen is stiffer, some softer ... but I've found that all of it wrinkles or creases.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I love linen ... so comfortable in the summer ... but you have to either be absolutely at peace with wrinkles or all about the ironing for wovens. Linen jersey is great for drape but beware of accidentally letting it go in the washer unless specifically advised otherwise

Eileen Fisher has good, heavy linen and so does the Poetry catalog. Neither is really specialized in tailored/ fitted pieces though.

ETA -- also White and Warren

Anonymous

Liz -- I was looking at both wovens and knits. Knits would probably fit better into my life style.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I love linen for hot climates. It may appear fragile, but in fact it is extremely strong and durable.

You do need to "make peace with the crease," as Angie says. Ironing is the one thing that can weaken linen over time (but only ironing in creases, apparently -- a flat iron on damp fabric won't hurt it).

Because it wrinkles easily, it has a tendency to look less formal.

Having said that, washing it and air drying already removes a lot of the wrinkling.

Linen knits wrinkle less. However, they're a little less cool than woven linen in my experience.

Another great option is linen blends with cotton or rayon. The blends with cotton feel a bit more substantial (and a little less cool). They don't tend to wrinkle quite as much. The ones with rayon have beautiful drape but may wrinkle as much as pure linen.

Lower quality linen will feel more coarse to the touch. Higher quality ones are smooth and often have a bit of a sheen that counteracts the "wrinkly" casual feel a bit (at least to my mind).

I have knit linen tees fhat I wear all summer. They do tend to stretch out a bit on the body but they have a lovely drape.

I also have woven linen pants and shirts.

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

ETA: in light colours, the J. Crew linen tees require a camisole underneath. In dark colours or patterns, they do not. As Ummlila said, there are heavier linen knits available from more expensive manufacturers that would be a bit less sheer. I have five of the boatneck tees; navy, royal blue, bright light blue, light grey, and white. The only one I feel I must wear with a cami is the white and even that one I could "get away" without a cami if I weren't wearing my fitbit on my bra!

I put ALL the linen items above into the washer on cool delicate cycle. I air dry on a rack and then press the wovens only with a steam iron. If I catch them still a bit damp, even better, but that's not always possible with a busy life.

Anonymous

I have a linen knit t from EF which was a disaster from the get-go. Snagged on everything, had a hole develop at the neckline which I had to mend, and then looked horrible after washing , blocking and pressing. Cost a freaking fortune, and it only looked good for the 3 - 4 times I wore it before it needed laundering. That said, my cheaper linen knits from BR or other places are just fine- so who knows?

Woven linen I love in a top - but not in a bottom, . The bagginess and loss of shape - especially in a pant- isn't very flattering on me ...as linen pants so often come with a drawstring waist. I know we're not supposed to body-shame ourselves here, but talk about blobby and fat looking- after sitting in it for a few hours - ugh. I admit to taking my linen things to a dry cleaner - I love that initial fresh-pressed look.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, Lisa's comments help me remember that I had some linen sweaters from J. Crew a few years ago that I loved in theory but that disappointed me in practice.

One was neon pink/ orchid -- at first. It rapidly faded. I really loved it so I wore it a lot but I babied it and always wore a cami underneath so it didn't need a lot of washing. But it was all too quickly a faded mess. I passed it on reluctantly after one season.

The pool blue one lasted longer -- I wore it regularly for two years. But it did have a tendency to stretch and snag.

Pure linen in my climate is really only wearable between mid-May and mid-September, and gets most outings in July and August. So your mileage may vary, given your different climate.

K. Period.

Veteran

My linen tee from JCrew just self-destructed in my washing machine, so I'm a little frustrated with them right now. It was from last year, but didn't get super heavy wear. Out of fairness I should say that I have a washing machine with a center agitator, so it probably got caught up on it. Or maybe not. The holes are in the same darned place (about belly button level) that all my JCrew tees seem to give out. What is with that?

MuseumGal

Veteran

I wear linen almost every day in the summer - at least when the temps are over 90F, which they are most days from May to October where I live. I have Eileen Fisher pieces, but honestly, the pieces from J Jill are sturdier. I also find linen pieces in places like Ross/TJ Maxx, Old Navy, and even the Evil Empire of Doom (WalMart) that have held up marvelously. Do you want me to put together a WIW linen post?

DonnaF

Veteran

My orange red linen shirt from JCrew faded a lot, so maybe it's JCrew? I also have a black w/white splatters and white w/black splatter Vince Camuto Ts similar to the Find below. They seem very hardy, but I haven't worn them a ton.

There's a theory that holes at the belly button level are caused by bellying up to a stone counter. I almost always wear an apron in the kitchen after I started noticing those holes at that level in DH's Ts since he's not always good about wearing an apron or chef's jacket.

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JAileen

Veteran

I have some linen yarn which is very strong. It's much stronger than cotten. I bought a couple of EF linen tops last year that I wore a lot. Knitted linen isn't as wrinkly as woven linen. The wrinkles don't bother me at all.

deb

Veteran

Woven linen will wrinkle more than knit linen. For this reason, I only wear knit linen items. I love them for their coolness in hot weather and their easy care. I throw mine in the washer and dryer and hang while still warm. I have quite a few pieces from this site. Started getting their catalog in the mail several years ago so I ordered and was very happy.

https://www.us.purecollection.com/

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Wow, K. Period -- that's a shame. I've been wearing three of my tees for 3 years solid and washing them in the machine. But ours does not have a centre agitator. I sometimes put tees into a mesh bag to wash as well.

Anonymous

Woven linen dresses are a great match for my hot dry summer climate. I used to iron but now almost always take linen spun dry from the washer to the shower, run water on it till it is quite wet again, hang it on a sturdy plastic hanger on the showerhead, and let it drip dry. The weight of the water seems to pull it fairly straight. Somewhat like "ironing" washed handkerchiefs by smoothing them out on a counter or mirror to dry -- my grandmother's tip from college dorm life ca. 1915.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

Potential pretties:
https://www.poetryfashion.com/best-sellers.htm

https://www.wraplondon.com/fas.....te-top.htm

https://www.wraplondon.com/fas.....tshirt.htm

https://www.wraplondon.com/fas.....weater.htm

Runcarla

Veteran

I've been wearing the heck out of my linen tunics since I got them 6 weeks ago, and a linen shirt looks as good now as it did when I bought it 4 years ago.

FWIW, DS#2 put not 1 but 2 of my new linen tunics into the dryer. They were both linen/rayon blend 55/45%. They did NOT shrink and after a quick press on the 'LINEN' setting of the iron, they look like they did the day I brought them home. After a 12 hour day they have wrinkles, but I am at peace with this.

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Anonymous

MuseumGal -- If you have time, I would love to see a WIW post of your linen.

And Suz, I remember your orchid top. I adored it on you. I am so sorry to hear that it didn't live up to expectations.

Deb -- I'll look into purecollection this weekend. Thanks for the link.

UmmLila -- Thanks for the links. I'll look at them this weekend as well. I'm feeling quite hopeful.

A few years ago, the wrinkles would have driven me crazy. I don't think wrinkles will bother me today. But I will try your trick, Merewether.

kkards

Veteran

not a linen expert, but last year i got 2 linen tee's from uniqlo which i love….they wash really well, and after hanging dry don't require ironing (but i will say they are for casual wear only, so i don't care as much about crispness). i have a white linen tee from EF, i tried washing--and it really didn't look so great, but if i dry clean i can get 2 wearing out of it.
i'd take a look at Uniqlo, they've got a few different styles, and the price points are reasonable so you can experiment with different styles

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RobinF

Veteran

This is great. I don't have much linen so can't offer any advice but am reading with interest. I have been looking for some linen tees but was afraid they would be too scratchy. I had some white linen pants that didn't wrinkle badly but they were lined so not as cool as unlined.

Chris987

Veteran

I am sadly NOT at peace with the wrinkles in 100% woven linen and do not wear it. I don't wear it for bottoms for the same reasons LisaP stated, and I just don't like the rumpled look for tops.

I'm ok with linen blends.

However I've never tried linen knits and love the ideas here and will think about that way of wearing it.

Author Linda

Veteran

Linen is my favorite summer fabric as far as staying cool. All my linen is very summery looking: whites and soft light colors for pants, with more color in shirts and dresses. They're versatile and easy. I just got back from a cruise on which I took two linen tees (including the splatter tee mentioned above), EF linen pants, and a sapphire EF linen dress for evening. I also brought along cotton tees and some jeans, but just love the lovely linen. Like with silk, I can hand wash linen and it dries rapidly overnight.

Linen, both woven and knit, softens over many washings. I have a lovely asymmetrical turquoise tee from EF that I have washed dozens of times by hand and even once, when DH laundered it by mistake, by washer and dryer. After two years of heavy rotation it is soft and nearly wrinkle free. It did develop a single tiny hole at belt level and I was devastated until I found some thread that perfectly matched the color and was able to make a few crucial stitches. The repair is invisible, thank goodness! I love that top.

I used to eschew linen because of the creases, and still probably would not wear it to the office, but I'm retired now and can be more relaxed. Linen perfectly suits my summer style.

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texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I've had good luck with some linens - as long as I wash them in cold on delicate and hang them to dry. I prefer darker colors or cotton/linen blends as I'm not going to layer (that defeats the whole point of linen to me). I have found successes on a hit or miss basis. I love my jcrew linen navy button down, I also have a nice linen knit tank from jjill in olive green from last year that I really enjoy. I have the Athleta navy linen track pant that works well and a few linen tees - one recent addition from Loft looks promising but I'll have to see how it washes.

I also would recommend cotton gauze style tops - jcrew usually has a few each year (often plaid) and BR had one in their factory store this year in a few colors.

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Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm Euro. Of course I love linen! It's a Summer staple when you are at peace with the crease, and have no a/c but live in hot weather. I have worn linen all my life.

I wear linen shirts, and just bought a linen dress. I have worn linen jackets, pants and skirts in the past and will do that again when the mood strikes me.

You are right, Sterling. Some linen wrinkles more than others. I prefer thick lines because of that reason.

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kerry

Veteran

I love linen but only started wearing it last year when I decided to get real with my hot, humid summers. The only linen bottoms I have are a linen-blend pair of JCrew pants and 100% linen Joe Fresh skirt. For some reason I am more at peace with the crease with skirts than pants. All of my linen tops are from Gap and so far they've been great!

Diana

Veteran

I adore linen, especially in humid summer climates. Long, loose woven linen trousers are pretty much the only long pants I can stand in the summer. I also love linen skirts and dresses. The wrinkling doesn't bother me at all - I think it looks natural, easy, and carefree.

Linen knits are also nice and cool for summer. I think the current trend for linen tees and the like is to use a very thin, light, slightly stubby cotton. This is comfy but not as durable as a tighter knit. Depending on the knit, you may also need to air dry it - but if you do accidentally put a linen knit in the dryer and it shrinks you can usually rescue t by wet blocking (after washing, spread/stretch it out flat and pin it back into shape).

Linen is a fabric that does tend to be better at a higher price point. I don't mean you have to go to Valentino price point but EF and J crew will have better linens than h&m. Cheap linens can be a bit scratchy (although like all linens it will soften with wash and wear) so you need to try before you buy.