In this era of using artificial material so widely, every fabric is referred to as linen. But the real linen fabric is not quite popular wear right now, for reasons unknown. In the former era, it was considered so precious that it was used to wrap bodies of Egyptian mummies, to preserve these ancient treasures. It is usually something that we don’t put much thought into, but choosing linens actually requires you to put your mind into it. The optimum temperature to derive a good nights’ sleep is 15-19 degree celsius. Air- conditioning might help you to maintain the temperature, but we don’t keep it on always. On such nights have you found yourself waking up in the middle of the night all sweaty? The linen of your bed sheet could be the culprit. Investing in good linen doesn’t necessarily mean spending an exorbitant amount of money, it means finding value for the money you invest.
HOW IS LINEN COMPOSED?
Linen fabric is made from flax fibers. The flax plant has been grown in almost every country in the world and has been used to make fibers for 6000 years. To extract the fiber the plant needs to either be cut or pulled. It is however said, that if the plant is pulled, finer linen is created. Next, the seeds are separated by either winnowing or ripping. Then the plant stock is removed from the fibers. After that the longest fibers are collected, ( they can length up to 20 centimeters), spun into yarn, and woven into a fabric.
USAGE OF LINEN
Linen is used almost everywhere today. It is used to make clothes, linen, curtains, pillows, rugs, rope, etc. It is also blended with cotton to create those sturdy paper-like substances to make dollar bills.
BENEFITS OF LINEN
1. Durability And Strength
It is considered to be one of the strongest natural fibers. It goes back to 8000 BC where it was widely used among the royal families for its strong and sturdy nature. Linen gets stronger with every wash. It means it can last for a span of consecutive summers if you are conscious of adding clothes to your wardrobe.
On the flip side, if you love linen and want to wear it, you have to be prepared to do a lot of ironing. Linen is prone to wrinkles. So unless you want to embrace creases for a casual look, get ready to use some high heat on the iron with a touch of starch spray. ( Starch spray is also known as laundry starch. It is made out of water and cornstarch. It adds crispness to the fabric and prevents stains and pilling.) But don’t get annoyed if the linen fabric is still a little wrinkly because that’s its nature. It will soften over time, and you wash it after wearing it. Linen also has a characteristic of shrinking like cotton, so you might prefer washing your linen clothes in warm or cold weather. If you want to however avoid wrinkles completely, you can try blending it with another fabric.
2. Natural Fibre
As formerly mentioned, linen is made from stalks of flax plants but what you didn’t know is that it can grow in poor soil that requires very little fertilizer. Flax is grown in almost every country which makes linen clothing Australia a favorite along with other countries. The production process of linen is also less water-intensive than cotton. With the demand for flaxseed oils increasing by the day in the health food industry, almost all of the flax plant is used resulting in very little wastage. Additionally, it’s a natural fiber which makes it biodegradable as well.
3. Breathable
Linen is a hollow fiber. So it allows more air to flow over your body than other fabric materials. It can gain 205v of its dry weight in moisture without feeling damp, which makes the fabric highly absorbent as well. This makes linen perfect wear during the arm summer getaways as it keeps you cool and avoids those embarrassing sweat patches.
4. Naturally Insect Repellant
Yes, a fact about linen that is widely unknown is that it is a natural insect repellent. So you are unlikely to have unwanted insect bites while choosing this warm-weather wardrobe.
5. Luxurious
After being pulled from the ground in full-length flax plants are left in the field to soften, so that they become easy to separate. Then after being extracted and collected, they are stored for two-three months before being twisted and processed with a spinning technique. Since this production process is a lengthy one, linen is considered to be an expensive natural fabric than other materials like cotton.
Always look at a practical point of view while investing in something. If it gives you long term benefit for the money you invest, go for it. With the current preference for comfort in clothing, linen is growing to be a favorite fabric.