Is Linen Good For Summer?
Why wear linen in summer?
Linen was sent from the gods of fabric; a gift to the human race to make summers more pleasurable. That was really nice of them. Once a year at Percival HQ we offer an intern to the gods as a blood sacrifice for the summerish delights the fabric gods have bestowed upon us.
We don’t. Not really. That would be murder. Linen is a truly perfect summer fabric, though, and, if you’ll allow us, we’re going to take a few minutes of your time to explain exactly why you should be wearing linen all summer long.
Properties of linen fabric:
Is Linen Breathable?
Christ, yes. Linen is famously breathable. You see, the flax linen fibres that constitute linen are naturally hollow. Cotton and other common fabrics — not so much. This allows air to flow freely through linen clothing, meaning air isn’t trapped close to the skin which, in turn, means heat is not insulated within that layer of trapped air. Ergo, linen is going to keep you breezy and fresh in those ever hotter British summers, as we hurtle helplessly toward the scorched Earth dystopia our forefathers and foremothers laid out for us. Or not. Who knows? Point is: linen = breathable.
Is linen fabric lightweight?
It is! Also because of those hollow fibres. Birds have hollow bones that make them lightweight enough to fly. Hollow bones also evolved at least three times, completely independently of each other, in dinosaurs. This allowed those specific dinosaurs to grow massive, unhampered by dense, heavy bones, and to allow oxygen to flow more freely through the body, helping them to cool down in the baking heat of Central Pangea (the supercontinent). Think of linen as dinosaur bones. Here to help you stay cool and lightweight in a massive, heavy summer.
does linen shrink?
It will if you don’t take care of it. Don’t wash it in hot temperatures. We’ve created a handy linen care guide to help you keep your linen summer clothes in perfect condition.
is linen sustainable?
Linen is about as sustainable as it gets. It’s made of plants — specifically flax — almost every single cell of which can be used in the manufacture of clothing, food, or linseed oil. Cultivating flax uses far less water than cotton, and all of the flax in Europe absorbs around 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. That’s around the amount of CO2 that would be produced by driving the average car around the planet 22,600 times. Flax can also be grown without pesticides or chemicals. Not only that, linen is also biodegradable. Linen is sustainable.
What colour is summer linen?
Depends. Depends on how and where the linen was produced. Obviously you can dye it — that’s not what we’re talking about. We’re asking, what colour is natural summer linen? Usually it’s somewhere between beige and grey, which sounds like a Coldplay album, but it’s actually very beautiful. We prefer tones of oatmeal, ivory, ecru — stuff like that.
Styling linen clothes for a summer look
Linen clothes work best with a slightly baggier than usual fit. The naturally course-looking yet soft-to-the-touch texture of linen doesn’t lend itself to tight, carefully tailored, fitted clothes. Rather, it is perfect for a relaxed summer look. That’s not to say linen can’t be formal —a linen suit is great for a summer wedding. We recommend keeping a bit of variety in your texturing for summer fits. Linen shorts with a cotton tee is a winning combo, as is a linen shirt with shorts or trousers made from a smoother material. If you’re going to go double-linen, go bold and match the colours — if you’re going to do something, it’s worth doing it properly, isn’t it? Balls-to-the-wall dedication to summer linen is to be congratulated as far as we’re concerned.
are linen shirts good for summer?
If you’ve come across this specific paragraph of this specific article through typing this specific question into a search engine — are you serious? YES. Yes, yes, yes. Scroll up, friend. Linen shirts are the summer. Scroll up, wise up, have your life changed for the better.
How to wear linen pants in summer?
We recommend a lovely pair of leather loafers with your linen pants. Socks or no socks — your choice. Or sandals. Sandals are nice with linen pants. They add to the airiness of the fit. Wear your linen trousers as part of a linen suit (perhaps with a cotton shirt for textural contrast), with a matching linen shirt, with a bloody tank top if you’re particularly confident or shredded, or both. Why not? Just keep it breezy and keep it all one look. A football top with linen trousers is going to look deranged. Contrast your textures — sure — but don’t contrast your personalities within one outfit. You can have too much going on in a fit, you know?