Today I want to talk about how to wear linen. It’s summertime here in Arizona and it’s going to be a million degrees. Linen is the best fabric to wear especially in summer because it’s lightweight and breathable.
Everyone complains that linen wrinkles, but compromise is key here. If you want to look good and not be a sweaty mess, wear linen, if that means you must iron your clothes throughout the day, so be it. There are other/better qualities of linen you can buy that won’t wrinkle as much.
This first polo I made is with 100% linen which has a crisper handfeel to it and the fabric is dense creating a better body. The swatches you see here are thinner and more lightweight, almost like a vacation fabric. When you’re out shopping if you find something that is crisper to the touch or dense, it’s probably going to wrinkle a little more than something that’s super lightweight and sheer.
I have men who love linen shirts, they wear them throughout the year, and this is their favorite shirt and fabric. They are super comfortable in it and not sweating a ton, sure they wrinkle but every time you wear it, iron it. Whether you’re out shopping or picking a fabric to make a shirt in, pick something that’s a little denser and heavier.
A couple more options I have here that are also dyed but they tend to keep that dense and heavy body.
Now onto jackets, many of my clients wear sport coats in the summer so I end up making them a wool, silk and linen blend sport coat. The blend is lightweight due to the linen, softer to the touch due to the silk, and the wool gives it body. Some fabrics have more linen again making them lighter in weight but still breathable, and of course going to wrinkle but not as severe. You’re still going to be cool and comfortable; I promise this will be your favorite go-to jacket.
Now onto pants, including the wool, silk, and linen blend pant again a crisp handfeel, denser in the weave, and a beautiful quality fabric. The key is when feeling fabrics to get a heavier, crisp hand feel rather than soft and sheer. This last pant includes polyester making it a linen and poly blend. It is like a paperweight pant with the polyester blend it prevents wrinkling and makes for a softer handfeel. This pant is perfect for when it’s over 115 degrees, it’s lightweight and cool, definitely a good blend to buy. When you’re out shopping or looking for something lightweight to wear with linen try a wool, silk, linen blend or find a linen with more body to it.
