Why your wardrobe should be filled with linen
Who doesn’t love being wrapped in a luxe fabric? And even better when it’s also beneficial. There are many reasons that linen has draped the shoulders of humankind for millennia, from its longevity to its health properties. Created from the flax plant, as the world’s strongest natural fiber it’s extraordinarily durable, making clothing and textiles that can last a lifetime or longer for pieces that you can hand down to your children and grandchildren. And like a fine wine, linen only gets better with age, becoming softer and more supple with every wear while holding its original shape. Thanks to these characteristics, linen even holds the title for the oldest known piece of clothing in the world: found in a tomb outside Cairo, Egypt, the Tarkhan dress dates back to 2800 BC and still shows details such as pleating and tailored sleeves.
A natural insulator, it’s the perfect fabric for year-round wear: in the winter months it retains the heat from your body, while in the summer months its porous nature allows for plenty of air flow to keep its wearer cool and comfortable. This makes it an excellent addition to your holiday wardrobe, and its naturally beautiful wrinkles, anti-static quality and ability to repel dirt make it a low-maintenance piece to pull out of the suitcase with no fuss so you can start enjoying your getaway on arrival while still looking elegant.
One historical fashionista who was drawn to these easy-going charms was Marie-Antoinette, who popularized simple, white linen dresses in the 1780s. Seeking a more relaxed look from the cumbersome and ornate high fashion of Versailles, she took inspiration from the clothing of country women to create the linen robe en gaulle to be worn in private, and the robe en bergère that she favored at her bijou palace, Petit Trianon.
Marie Antoinette
Beyond its natural good looks, linen is also known for its healing properties. Not only can it help regulate body temperature, but it is hypoallergenic (perfect for those with sensitive skin or allergies) as well as a natural antiseptic that can kill bacteria, reduce inflammation and, as a bandage, even help heal abrasions more quickly. Being 100% natural—totally biodegradable and recyclable—means it helps keep Earth healthy, too.
At ZALXNDRA we love the timeless characteristics of linen and are careful to source this fabric from high-quality European suppliers that follow our ecological and ethical philosophy. They are then handmade with love and attention by craftswomen in Ukraine, where an understanding of working with linen runs deep in the country’s cultural fabric.
A material once exclusive to ancient royalty, today this environmentally friendly and health-beneficial fabric should have a place in everyone’s wardrobe.