Linen, advantages and disadvantages

Linen is one of the natural and vegetable fibers, just like cotton, hemp... Very fashionable in the 19th century, because it was available in Europe, it was gradually replaced by cotton, coming from the Americas, India, Egypt or elsewhere. However, it has made an interesting comeback in recent years thanks to different qualities of cotton.

Bresciani gray linen knee-highs

• The reasons for the strength of linen: its fibers

First, robustness. linen is incredibly strong as a natural fiber thanks to the length and structure of the fibers. This is why linen has remained the preferred fiber for indoor linens. For linen to be truly strong, the garment must be made with long fibers, called scutched linen. These fibers are several tens of centimeters while those of cotton are tens of millimeters… The tow, which corresponds somewhat to the rest of the fibers, is used for non-woven fabric and cannot be used for socks.

It should be added that linen is one of the rare fibers to be stronger wet than dry. Which is particularly useful when it comes to  linen socks . Indeed, there is necessarily humidity in the shoe.

Linen fiber length

• The reasons for the comfort of linen: freshness

The “hand” of linen is undoubtedly the second asset of this precious textile fiber. It is a hand that is both fresh and at the same time dry. the contact with linen is therefore refreshing like a wet fabric without having the inconvenience of humidity. This is what makes linen ideal for summer clothing. The absorption capacity of linen is important, since it can reach 30% of its textile mass while giving the sensation of not wetting the skin. It is this freshness effect that makes linen antiperspirant. The skin is fresher and does not have to sweat to cool down.

Linen knee-high socks

• Linen is an ecological fiber

Growing flax is quite quick, it is said that it takes 100 days in total. This brevity, added to the fact that flax has a bark that is very resistant to insects and micro-organisms. Chemical products, such as pesticides and other fungicides are significantly less necessary. Linen is nevertheless sensitive to bad weather such as violent winds. If the plant is lying down, the harvest is lost…

• The disadvantages of linen: the wrinkled effect

Linen wrinkles more quickly than cotton which can be a little annoying. This is especially true for fabrics, whether for clothing or for interior linens. For knitted clothing, the problem is less obvious.

For socks for example, as they mold to the foot, the wrinkled effect is not visible once the socks are put on the foot.

Bresciani off-white linen mid-calf socks