To help you understand the future occupant of your closets, we will cover the following:
- Its Origin
- Its Culture
- Its Benefits
- Its Modern Usage
- Maintenance
Get ready, this lesson is important!
- Origin
You surely know linen: by name or as the material you couldn't name at your grandmother's in your childhood. But its first traces go back much further: 36,000 years to be precise. Initially used in Asia, linen fabric only made its appearance in Europe about 2000 years ago. The Babylonians and Egyptians wove long strips of linen for various purposes, including mummification.
But let's move on to something more cheerful!
- Culture
You already know that Yvo and I prioritize sustainability and ecology above all. That's why you won't find cotton products here, but you will find more noble materials like Merino wool or, more recently, linen. Returning to the hero of the day, its cultivation aligns with our project. Slightly temperamental, it requires soil with a lower pH than normal, deep enough and highly structured. Planted between March and April, it matures extremely quickly: in just 100 days! It will grow with the winds and rains, without the need for additional watering or the chemical fertilizers we're so fond of (unlike the material we won't name, as it would offend cotton).
- Benefits
We've repeated the qualities of Merino wool from summer to winter, and it's simply perfect. But here's an alternative for summer, with common features for a sustainable wardrobe. Linen fabric is a thermoregulating material (yes, like Merino wool, as we warned you): a light and cool sensation for the summer months, with isolated and preserved warmth in winter. Not being allergic to pollen, linen takes advantage to BREATHE. In fact, it goes further; it's an allergy-friendly material (hypoallergenic): its absorbent characteristics (yes, just like Merino) and quick drying (yes, again) wick away sweat from the skin to limit friction and proliferation. The list of its qualities is still long, but we'll mainly conclude that it's divinely durable, so you won't have to invest every year, another point for the Sustainable Wardrobe team.
- Modern Usage
Such a practical material can't be limited to ready-to-wear. Today, linen is found in the world of fashion, albeit only at 0.3%. It excels in home textiles, decoration, and even some composites, as well as its seeds in their most primitive form. Its resistance to light and water promotes its presence in humid areas like bathrooms or outdoor garden furniture. It's used in stationery, construction insulation, and even for mulching; nothing is impossible for linen.
- Maintenance
Ouch. Here's the tough or scary question. However, we wouldn't have created a linen collection if it involved meticulous maintenance. We want practical, sexy, and comfortable, not dry cleaning every three days. Our linen tops are knitted jersey that doesn't wrinkle and can be machine washed (delicate cycle), nothing like regular woven linen, which seems so fragile. For tougher stains, it's not a big deal. Often, it just takes not letting the fabric soak for too long, Marseille soap, cold water, and a little patience to save your favorite tank top.
For more numbers and delicate blue flowers: https://www.terredelin.com/internet/la-decouverte-du-lin/terroir-du-lin/terroir-du-lin-1187.aspx
