Equa Blog - News, Views and Ethical Styling...

Thursday 22 July 2010

Fabric of the Week- Linen

True linen is a fabric made from the stem of the flax plant...who would have known that flax was such a beautiful plant!




 
Flax fibre is not only used to make linen but also paper and rope. The seeds of the flax plant are also used to make linseed oil which is reputed to have many health benefits


The fibres from the flax plant being woven into a fabric dates back to the ancient Egyptians. It was considered a noble fabric, and was a luxury worn by the Pharaohs. In the mummification process approximately 375 meters of hand woven linen bandages were used per body.


Linen is quite an expensive material to produce because flax fibres are quite brittle and have a tendency to break, consequently the process of separating the fibre from the woody stem has to be done by hand.


Characteristics:


Linen has a very distinctive quality and texture. It is known for feeling cool to the touch as well as being highly absorbent, naturally removing perspiration. Linen is quite a stiff fabric, which means it does not cling to the skin and has a billowy effect, however it does soften the more it is washed.


Linen fibres do not have much elasticity, explaining why it wrinkles so easily. Nevertheless the tendency to wrinkle is often considered part of the fabric's "charm", and a lot of modern linen garments are designed to be air dried and worn without the need for ironing.


Linen is a very elegant textile and has a distinct Riviera feel to it....



These Jackpot Alba Organic Linen Trousers are perfect and airy for those balmy summer evenings.











The Jackpot Perla Linen Dress, seen here in dark pink rose, also has that distinctive linen texture that sits loosely on the body without clinging.


More Linen items from Equa:

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