Come join the linen love-in
Photo: Penny Wincer. Hair & make-up: Carl Stanley
Crumple-fest or super chic? Whatever you think of linen, it’s the perfect fabric for the changing climate. I’m not going to describe the current weather as a ‘heatwave’ because I’ve lived in the UK all my life and recent summers have been consistently hot, with temperatures reaching an all-time high of 40 degrees last year. This is the new normal. Bring on the cool clothing – and improved environmental standards from the UK government.
Ancient Greek soldiers wore protective clothing made of linen, it is a strong, natural fibre. Today, the fabric’s absorbent properties and flowing nature allow the wearer to waft around and feel cool. Linen Lovers embrace the wrinkles – and that’s a phenomenon I seriously approve of. Like Monty Don, who famously digs his Long Meadow garden in blue linen shirts and jackets, and accepts that the very nature of the fabric means it’s going to get crumpled. We all go with the flax flow.
Looking business-like in the extreme heat, is not easy. One of my friends while temping for a city firm in the nineties was told ‘ linen is creative, not corporate.’ We’ve moved on since then, but linen definitely has more of a relaxed vibe – still, I do think the oldest textile in the world can look elegant and classic. Fortunately, I work in a creative industry and can get away with a wrinkled linen shirt or dress (see Muji and Cos for the latter) – and face. Perhaps it’s a matter of styling? I’d definitely wear the first outfit, the striped linen shirt with a silk slip skirt and run-around sandals, to an informal business meeting or press event. Upgrade the accessories by swapping the sporty sandals for a pair of ballet pumps or Mary Jane shoes, replace the Uniqlo cross body bag with a smarter leather handbag and you can lean in to linen.
What do you think? Are you ready to crumple?
And for a more relaxed vibe… Photo: Sarah Brick
More linen loveliness:
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STYLE NOTES
First photo: striped linen shirt on loan from With Nothing Underneath. Silk skirt bought from The Outnet last year. Similar HERE, HERE and HERE. Crossbody bag from a previous collaboration with Uniqlo. My own Suicoke sandals. Hoop earrings from Branch Jewellery.
Second photo: navy linen dress on loan from Plumo (now sold out; but I really like the belted linen shirtdress from Cos). My Capri pants were a gift from Winser London. Straw basket on loan from LK Bennett. Leather sandals from Grenson, a couple of years ago (now available in tan, dark brown and black leather).
Discussion (26 Comments)
Hi Kathryn, That’s a cracking jacket. I keep looking at the new rose pink version… I have a cream coloured, slightly oversized summer jacket that I wear with cropped jeans and slingbacks in the evening. I also quite like the combination of a single-breasted jacket and maxi skirt ( if you subscribe to Patreon you can see the outfit here https://www.patreon.com/posts/83128039, or have a look at my Instagram feed). For daytime, I would suggest wide leg trousers and trainers, or a pair of lovely sandals. It also works with Capri pants and pointed flats. And I like the Gibson jacket with the silver leather trousers and white T-shirt, as shown on the Jigsaw website!
Hope that helps.
Alyson McGarrigle says:
I have always loved linen, it always feels so comfortable in hot weather. I have a collection of skipper collar linen shirts from Uniqlo in a variety of colours which are my summer staple and can be dressed or down for every day.
Christine March says:
Love linen. Classic, comfortable & beautiful. It’s the anchor fabric in my summer wardrobe.
Sue says:
For years I really hated linen but somehow I seem to now be wearing it all the time now. The better quality linen doesn’t seem to get so limp and rumpled and it does feel perfect to wear in very hot weather. Justine Tabak does excellent linen dresses, some are good for winter aswell & I recently got a very plain dark navy linen dress from M&S/Jaeger and it is 10/10. Your outfit in the first photo is lovely, you always choose such good colours.
Karen says:
Living in a very hot climate (southern Nevada), I love linen and cotton and cotton gauze and seersucker. This summer I have added loose linen pants to my look. Love them.
Jane says:
Easy and breezy Alyson, I think Linen offers just the right amount of waft and skim without cling. I’m team linen all the way, but in the darker shades that seasalt does so well. Loving both outfits on you especially the trouser and long shirt dress combo, right up my street. I have cornered the market in patterned silky cropped trews (M&S) to pop under linen for comfort and style. Like you being tall I also find it a boon to add to a simple knee length linen dress for interest, flair and to cover the ageing knee caps……know what I mean???
Mrs Tonia says:
Great selection of outfits for hot weather dressing here. I like the striped linen shirt you are wearing. I’m definitely in the ready to crumple for comfort. I’ve worn linen clothing since the 80s. It wears well. Feels good in warm weather and is chic if one foregoes excessive ironing. Once washed and pressed it just needs hanging up. I’ve several old linen dresses I bring out every summer from Oska, German brand. Good colours no fading or shrinkage. Green linen trousers too are comfortable to wear.
It’s also a better fabric choice in these sustainable conscious days than cotton. Less intensive to produce than cotton. More green. Once you have these clothes and preferably hand wash and hang up to dry they keep going. And add to the value of your wardrobe in wearability. Add sandals, bangles, more or less jewellery. Scarves, belts to transform the basics.bev says:
I LOVE to crumple. I am definitely in the camp of cool, loose, flowy and linen when it is hot. Being sun sensitive due to medication gives me the perfect excuse to cover up – I have never been a flesh flasher at the best of times! I worship at the very temple of (crumpled) linen – floppy trousers, long linen shirts and tunics, scrunched up jackets, very long linen skirts are my idea of summer bliss. I have now invested in some linen bedding that looks fab all crumpled and soft. It is impossible to keep linen looking smooth so why even try! ……..and for going Out Out – bung on some unusual costume jewellery and ready to rumble.
Sara says:
I love the look – on other people! What ever I do, I bear a striking resemblance to a crumpled sack within an hour, even less if I have to drive somewhere first. I recall seeing a photo of myself in Paris wearing what I thought were my ultra chic grey wide leg linen trousers and realising I looked a sad saggy baggy crumpled sight. The trousers went straight in the bin when I returned home! Additionally, the ironing of linen is enough to drive me several miles from it. Although I agree about its (initial) appearance being cool in every sense of the word, I’m mildly surprised to see you embrace it, Alyson, given your penchant for faff- free dressing. How do you do that ironing?.
I’m still awaiting the invention of a fabric that has all the positive attributes of linen but needs a minimum of/no ironing!Cindy from Canada says:
Hi Sara,
Try bamboo – I wash my bamboo tunics using cold water on a gentle/delicates cycle, and I hang to dry. No need for ironing.
Sara Goegeline says:
I love wearing linen, but some of my friends are still afraid of machine washing and drying linen garments. I wash, dry, and iron or not as I wish. Please tell us how you care for your linen clothes.
I enjoy your website even when I disagree with your opinions about fashion. When I’m queen, I’ll tell you my opinions.Sara I wash my linen clothes by hand in lukewarm water. With stergene or Woolite detergent. Squeeze out water. Hang to dry on hanger over shower. When not wearing I hang on back of door. So minimal ironing.
There are some linen mixes part cotton part linen which crumple less. I’ve an old M & S off white fitted blazer. Old but very useful garment. Another Uniqlo jacket with the same mix of textiles but a linen look.
JoanCecile says:
Yes, I’m ready to crumple! And my face is there already. LOL. You have some really beautiful pieces today. I love the darker.blues. etc. This is one of my favorite TNMA posts.
Jules says:
As an Aussie, I love linen. I iron the bejeesus out of it, then embrace the wrinkle. I often give my linen a little moment in the dryer, helps with creasing, but not too long or it will shrink.
That’s me!Informative blog. I wear tops/tunics made from bamboo. Nice and cool with the fluctuations of temperature where I live in Canada. Easy to care for – gentle cycle in the washing machine, then hang to dry. Wrinkle free.
Susanna says:
I’m such a linen fan, though it goes against Everything My Mother Ever Taught Me about being crumple-free. We have a great West Coast brand around here (Bryn Walker) that does both lightweight and heavy linen for winter and summer – works three-season here in San Francisco and the heavy linen can be layered with knits for winter. I especially love the heft of heavy linen for a more polished look. Loose dresses, wide pants, asymmetrical tops, all in lovely strong solid colors. I wash on gentle machine (wool cycle) and hang to dry, sometimes a tiny tumble, then a quick iron. This year I even packed the tops successfully for a trip to Europe!
Tracy says:
Another Aussie, linen lover here. I think the answer is to choose clothes with simple lines that aren’t fitted and accept that a crisp, wrinkle-free look is impossible outside a magazine shoot. I use a very gentle, cold machine cycle to wash my linen clothes, shake items out and shape them ( smooth facings back into pace, straighten hems etc) after they are done, and then use padded hangers or trouser hangers to hang them to dry. If more is needed, I steam them gently. Silk, silk-cotton, seersucker and poplin are all good alternatives for me if a wrinkle-free look is needed, but I would still avoid anything fitted.
Rhoda says:
I’m a big linen fan. I love the relaxed look of rumpled linen and find the pristine ironed stuff a bit prissy. A lot depends on the weight of the fabric – heavier linens (I’m thinking Oska here) carry the creases better than lighter fabrics. Loving the casual look of rumpled linen suits these days.
Nice post, Alyson.Ann Dix says:
Absolutely love your khaki green sandals in the first pic Alyson. Where are they from?
Thanks Ann, they’re from Suicoke – the caption and a link are right at the bottom of the feature.
JJ says:
I have been a tentative linen buyer. I like how it looks when I first put it on, but by the end of the day I feel shlumpy and awful. I’ve learned that’s especially true of any linen on my lower half because it creases across the hips when I’m sitting, and not as much in other places, so it looks really odd and unflattering on my already-wide hips.
I’ve dipped a toe back in recently with a beautiful green linen shirt, but again, found it creased so much at the waist from sitting that it looked weird by the end of the day. I’ve laundered it since and it washed beautifully — I suppose I’ll try again.
Francis says:
I like your blog and enjoy the style articles but trivialising climate change to a wardrobe problem isnt your usual intelligent standard. More on sustainability in fashion value chains instead please.
Hello Francis, Thank you and I’m sorry if that’s how the introduction reads – what I meant was quite the opposite. Every summer we are told ‘ how to dress in a heatwave’ by fashion journalists and we need to be honest, it’s not a heatwave, the climate has changed. This is the normal weather now – and it’s getting hotter. I really wasn’t trying to trivialise such an important issue, I was trying to highlight it. I will go back and have another look at the intro…
Lisa says:
Your intro was absolutely fine! Anyone who reads you knows how committed you are to sustainability!
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Hi. Any hints for styling the Jigsaw white linen Gibson jacket? It’s my first shoulder padded piece for many years.