What is linen?
Linen is a highly durable fibre made from the fast-growing flax plant. It’s a natural bast fibre, similar to fibres from flax and jute. This bast fibre can be found in the outer layer of the plant’s stem. Flax can grow in many climates but prefers cool and damp conditions. All our linen is farmed in Europe, in France and Belgium, to be exact.
The blue flowering plant is low-demanding and naturally pest resistant. Therefore, it needs few to no pesticides. The linen fibre gives your clothing a nice fresh, crisp and richly textured feeling.
Is linen sustainable?
Yes, linen is sustainable. Let’s explain why we use this fabric. We like many things about linen. The flax plant needs little to no pesticides to grow. Unlike cotton, it is happy to grow in poor soil. No sicknesses or insects can get it down!
Because linen is quite a fast grower, it uses far less land, water and other resources compared to other crops like cotton. It grows in humid areas that need no extra irrigation since it needs less sun and warmth. You could also call linen low to zero waste! The whole plant is used for processing, from flax seeds, flax or linseed oil to flax ropes.
The 3 feet long fibres give the fabric its natural strength. The longer a fibre is, the stronger the yarn will be. Therefore, linen is very durable. It blends easily with other textile fibres to improve the durability of a garment and give it a signature linen look. The linen fabric is also naturally moth-resistant, contributing to a longer lifecycle. Prepare that shirt to be in your closet for quite some time!