Apr 21, 2021

Why Linen Is The Perfect Summer Fabric

With the sun starting to shine, everything suddenly looks bright and wonderful, from the idyllic riverside walks, to the blooming flowers and buzzing bees. Summer brings a change of season, a new step-change in temperature, and a reason to daydream about new outfits and occasions.

In the article below, we look at one of our favourite summer fabrics, linen. This natural, lightweight and sustainable material has been around for years, fast becoming a summer staple for many gentlemen.

Below we outline:

Why linen is the perfect summer fabric
How linen is made and where it originated from
Why linen fabric is sustainable
The benefits of linen fabric in summer
The best type of clothing to wear with linen

HOW IS LINEN FABRIC MADE?

Linen is made from the stalks of flax plants, which are resilient species that can grow in poor soils requiring very little if any fertiliser. Linen is known for being a robust, sturdy and highly absorbent fabric, associated with summer due to its lightweight texture.

Linen is a natural fibre, like cotton, but it takes much longer to harvest and turn into fabric, as flax fibres can be difficult to weave. Once extracted from the flax plant, the fibres are collected, rolled and stored for two to three months for further softening before they are twisted and processed with a spinning technique.

This lengthy process is why linen is considered to be one of the most luxurious natural fabrics and why linen is more expensive than other materials like synthetic nylon or polyester.

Where Did Linen Originate From?
Linen is one of the world's most ancient fabrics, with a rich and romantic heritage across many regions, such as the American colonies, Ireland and most of Europe. However, it's widely accepted birth as a textile was in Egypt some 10,000 years ago.

Before this, evidence found in pre-historic caves in Georgia suggests it might have been used as a textile some 36,000 years ago (Harvard Library, 2010). Additionally, fragments of straw, seeds, fibres, yarns, and various types of fabrics, including linen samples dating to about 8,000 BC, have also been found in Swiss lake dwellings (Akin, 2012).

WHICH TYPES OF CLOTHING ARE SUITABLE FOR LINEN?

The beauty of linen fabric is that it's durable, strong yet soft, and drapes nicely, making it a common choice amongst many clothing items.

Polo Shirts
Linen fabric polos are the finest way to produce one of the most classic menswear pieces, requiring a higher level of craftsmanship, knowledge and speciality machinery. We have chosen to use our partner mills and manufacturers in Italy, due to their design techniques, history of iconic menswear and incredible fabric choices available.

Once the yarns have been sourced and spun, it's then handmade by expert craftsmen in Italy into our collection of cool, stylish and luxurious polo shirts.

Shop The Collection: Polo Shirts

Jackets
Linen jackets are perfect for summer events such as weddings or garden parties. Our two-piece collection of linen sharkskin weave jackets are made from the finest linen and wool blend fabric and features a classic cut that can be dressed up or down.

The light blends of grey, blue and white linen create the perfect summer jacket for any occasion. On top of a classic and timeless jacket, that is perfect for the warmer months; we offer you your choice of lining to ensure you have something truly unique to add to your wardrobe.

BENEFITS OF WEARING LINEN FABRIC

Regulates Your Temperature
Made with the finest linen-cotton blend spun in Italy, linen is the perfect summer polo shirt, regulating your temperature with cooling and breathable properties in summer while also being anti-wrinkle and fast drying.

Linen is a beautiful and high-end fabric that provides a superior step up on the classic cotton polo.

The Perfect Weight
Our linen-cotton blend short sleeve polos are all under 200g in weight, designed to be super lightweight and durable to wear in all seasons, especially in the summer months.

Simply wear this item as your outer layer for a smart-casual finish in hotter months. We suggest pairing this polo top with some fine cotton chino trousers and tonal smart loafers.

Sustainable Fabric
Linen is the ultimate summer fabric and a premium choice for our classic short-sleeve polo tops. The strength behind any linen fabric is due to being made from the stalks of flax plants, which are resilient species that can grow in poor soils requiring very little if any fertiliser.

Linen is not only a strong, beautifully breathable material but it's generally considered more sustainable than most other fibres. This is due to using significantly less water in the production process, reducing its water footprint.

WHY IS LINEN A PERFECT SUMMER FABRIC

Linen is a lightweight, soft and highly absorbent fabric, making it perfect all year round but especially suitable for warmer months. Linen fibres naturally keep you warm during the winter months, and their moisture-wicking properties help keep you dry and cool in the warmer months.

Linen Is Antibacterial
Linen is an antibacterial fabric due to the fine and closely woven fibres. Harmful bacteria and other germs have difficulty surviving within linen fabric, making it suitable for close contact with your skin.

Easy To Wash
Like other natural fabrics, such as cotton, linen can be cleaned quickly and smells naturally fresh after each wash, becoming more durable and absorbent over time. However, due to the delicate and fine fibres, we always suggest to hand wash or dry clean your linen clothing to avoid shrinkage and any potential damage.

Highly Absorbent
Linen is a perfect natural solution for the warmer months when you are more likely to sweat and produce moisture from your skin into your clothing.

Linen dries much quicker than cotton or synthetic fibres, because it’s soft yet durable. Hence why it’s commonly used across bedding as the fabric absorbs sweat quickly.

SHOP THE COLLECTION

What Makes Our Short Sleeve Polo Shirts So Special?

1. Our polos are made with the finest fabric across a range of linen-cotton and merino wool blends, all spun in Italy. The unique fabric properties of our polo collection such as temperature regulation and breathability make them the perfect choice by using beautiful and high-end fabrics that provides a superior step up on the classic cotton polo.

2. Once the raw materials are sourced, they are processed in Emilia-Romagna, Italy using leading-edge technology to become a precious yarn collection. Once the yarns have been sourced and spun, it's then handmade by expert craftsmanship into your timeless, stylish, and luxurious polo top.

3. We take the utmost care in the design execution of our short sleeve polos, which results in truly remarkable levels of detail. Within the collection we offer our polos with a ribbed hem, chest pocket and three button quarter placket as standard. All our fabric is yarn-dyed in house and put through an extensive testing process to ensure the quality is second to none. Our short sleeve polo tops are available in eight timeless menswear colours, offering you full versatility with any outfit

4. Our short sleeve polo tops are perfect for all four seasons, our choice of either linen-cotton or merino wool fabric will help regulate your temperature by offering warmth in winter and cooling properties in summer. Our premium fabrics also have the benefits of being anti-wrinkle, fast drying and anti-odour.